Raising Kouryuu
by GreyLiliy
Summary: What if you could go back to before things went bad, start over? Sanzo gets to relive his childhood, but he's still supposed to be on the mission west! Join Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai as they experience Raising Kouryuu.
1. Prologue

Hey! Welcome to my second full length Saiyuki piece. If you were with me for A Dog's Life, I hope to live up to your expectations, and if you're just joining in – I hope you hang around. Thanks so much for reading!

**Raising Kouryuu.**

**Prologue**

"Tell me Ms. Hwang, what do you think of children?"

"They shouldn't be allowed anywhere near you." The woman huffed. "Or your rabbit."

The lights of the computers glinted off of the man's glasses as he turned towards his rather uptight assistant. Her hair was frazzled and it was clear she'd spent the night doing research again. The woman needed to relax some or she'd get a hernia. He pet his bunny softly with his one hand as the other clicked through various windows on his screen. "You'll hurt his feelings saying things like that."

Hwang growled to herself. There had to be some mistake that this could be the world's best biologist. However, she'd seen his work herself, and there was no doubt the man was a genius, albeit a creepy one. "I know I'll regret asking, but why do you bring it up?"

"If you regret asking, then don't!" Old man Wang laughed in the background as he set up the chessboard. It was always nice to take a break from work to play a nice challenging game. Though, getting Hwang's knickers in a twist was always fun, too.

"Shut up!" Hwang stomped her heel on the ground and nearly threw her clipboard. "I wasn't talking to you. And you, stop laughing."

"I was just amused," Nii smiled. "No harm in that."

"There's always harm when it's you that's amused."

Wang smiled at the knight piece on the board. "There's truth in the young lady's saying."

"Do you recall when I told you there was once a boy named Kouryuu?" Nii stood and walked towards his table.

"You did mention it." Hwang followed the man towards that stupid game table. He was always there and lazing about on other things when there was a resurrection to complete. "And why on earth are you playing games again when you haven't worked at all on Lady Koshuu's project!"

"You're so tense, Ms. Hwang." Nii pulled his seat back, smiled a bit when the legs screeched across the metal floor. It was a pleasant sound and it made the woman cringe. "Wouldn't you like to be young again?"

"What on earth does that have to do with anything?" Hwang was losing her patience quickly with this man. He always put her in such a rut and she couldn't quite place her finger on just why. There was something else there, and it wasn't the fact he was an old pervert.

"I think you should be more insulted that he just called you old."

"Stay out of it Wang!" The irate woman smacked her hand down upon the board, jolted the pieces. "And you, Dr. Nii, stop playing games."

"This isn't a game." Nii smiled and carefully lifted one of Hwang's pretty little fingers to pull her hand off the board. She snatched it away from him like his hand was on fire or something. So cold of her, really, but his knight went in that spot on the table anyway; it was always good to line the pieces up. "It's a test of skill."

"Yes, mental strategy and all that." The brunette adjusted her glasses on her face. "But what does that have to do with being young again?"

Nii smiled at his little toy sitting on the shelf next to the glowing screens. "Wouldn't it be nice to go back before all the bad things happened in your life?"

"If it means I could avoid meeting you, then sure." Hwang smiled. "But we all know that's not possible. You can't go back in time and you certainly can't give people youth."

"And if I could give it to you?" The man chuckled.

"What are you saying?"

"Would you like to be young?" Nii slowly shifted his eyes to her face and smiled sweetly.

"You can do that." Hwang didn't realize when a hand went to her face. She could feel the lines forming into wrinkles from all the stress. She really wasn't as young as she used to be.

"Forget her, I'd like a dip in the fountain of youth myself."

"Sorry, " Nii smiled at his chess partner. "It's untested. I need a lab rat, and if things go wrong, Ms. Hwang will never play chess with me."

"Why you." Hwang fumed.

"Why me what?" Nii tilted his head. "Don't you want to be my pretty little lab mouse?"

"Go screw yourself."

Nii watched as the woman slammed her clipboard down into the middle of his table, scattering the pieces across the board and rolling to the floor. Wang just laughed in his seat and pulled at his wires when she stomped across the lab and slammed the door on her way out.

"Were you really planning on using her for your little data run?" The old demon never knew what was going on in that human's head. But it did make the day more interesting.

"No," Nii picked up her clipboard to look at the notes she had made. The woman did have talent for numbers, as well as neat handwriting. He'd have to make use of some of these calculations in his next test run. "I just like getting her panties in a twist."

"Then who did you have in mind?" Wang grinned. "You always have things planned out."

"I told you," The man gently set the board down. "A man once named Kouryuu."

"Feeling nostalgic are you?"

"I never really got to meet him the first time." Nii leaned back into his seat. "I'd like to see what was so special about a little boy who was said to be like me."

"You're usually not so open, what's the occasion?" Wang studied Nii's profile as he leaned back, as the man raised his hand in front of him to block out the light.

"You said it yourself, I'm feeling nostalgic."

Wang stood, and pushed himself from his chair. He tried to ignore the creaking in his bones and the slight ache. Maybe he'd borrow whatever it is that the man made, if it worked of course. "We'll play the game when you're in a better mood. Somehow, I feel knowing too much about you is bad for my health. And I'd like to hold on to my few years, if you don't mind."

"Of course." Nii waited for the soft click of a door, and the humming of machines to fill the room before laughing to himself. "Why don't you show me Kouryuu, just what Koumyou Sanzo found so appealing?"


	2. Kouryuu

First chapter! I hope you all enjoy it and thanks for reading. 

**Chapter 1: Kouryuu **

"Don't give me any shit today, I've got a headache and I might just actually shoot you."

"Maybe you should ask your question a little later, Goku." Hakkai smiled softly. Their leader had been suffering from a headache since they reached the town. It was probably related to the weather shifts, but a little rest should clear it right up. However, being forced to share a room for the night did not help the situation much either. "I think Sanzo would like his rest."

"But," Goku started, but changed his mind. There wasn't much of a chance that Sanzo would agree to it anyway. "Never mind. Have a good night, Sanzo."

"Yeah, yeah." Sanzo sighed. He knew he'd regret it, but Sanzo turned to look at Goku's downcast face and cursed. "If it's something stupid, I'm going to kill you."

Goku turned around and smiled. Sometimes Sanzo could surprise him. "It's not! I think you're really going to like it!"

"You've got ten seconds."

"I saw a flyer today for a town festival here tomorrow, and I was wondering if we could go to it?" Goku trotted over to get closer to Sanzo, but kept a good arm's length away. He wasn't going to completely push is luck. "I know we're on a time limit and stuff, but we could use a break!"

"A festival does sound like fun." Hakkai added in for good measure. The inn at least, had proved to be rather nice on its own, so shops around town should also provide some interesting items. He smiled at Sanzo and waited for the man to answer. The clock in the hallway chimed at eleven o'clock and reminded Hakkai that Gojyo still hadn't come back. He sighed inwardly when he realized that probably meant the man wasn't coming back at all. Hakkai considered investing in a leash to keep the man under control. No one liked dealing with his hangovers in the mornings and Sanzo was stressed enough.

"Give me one good reason why I should go to this." Sanzo growled. Festivals meant people, and people meant harassment for lectures and preaching. Sanzo looked out the window and saw a few people setting up little carts. It was probably a bigger event if they were setting up for it now.

"There's going to be lots of yummy food!" Goku tried to contain the drool as he thought about all the delicious pictures he saw on posters.

"Not a chance. We're leaving first thing in the morning."

"Sanzo!"

"What's that, Goku?" Hakkai leaned forward to see an orange piece of paper sticking out of Goku's pocket. He leaned over to yank it out. "It's a flyer for the festival."

"Oh yeah, I forgot I took that." The boy scratched his head and turned towards Sanzo. "It had a picture of a meat bun on it."

"I'm surprised you didn't eat it." Sanzo leaned over the edge of the bed he was sitting on to look for his cigarettes. He shoved things around until he found his pack beneath an extra shirt. It was empty.

"I've found a good reason why we should all go to this festival tomorrow." Hakkai smiled as he scanned the piece of paper.

"And why is that?" Hakkai was up to something. Sanzo yanked off the outer layer of his robes.

"It's being sponsored by Marlboro."

Goku snickered when Sanzo stopped in mid pull of his shirt. The man caught himself in the startled pause and continued as if nothing had happened before turning towards Hakkai. Goku leaned on the dresser when Sanzo pulled himself under the covers and mumbled a "We're up and at the festival by ten o'clock."

Hakkai chuckled to himself as he neatly folded the piece of paper. Sanzo was so predictable sometimes, but that was just fine. Hakkai watched the man curl slightly and turn his back towards his friends. That was as good a sign as any for bedtime. "Come Goku, let's get you to your room and let Sanzo sleep."

"Night Sanzo!" Goku skipped out of the door and got a few steps down the hallway before skidding to a stop and turning back. His head popped around the doorframe as he uttered one last "Thanks!"

"Just shut up and leave me alone." Sanzo pulled the covers over his head. The brat just didn't know how to be quiet.

"Good night, Sanzo." Hakkai walked to the door and checked to make sure Goku had found his room before shutting the door and walking over to his bed. "That was rather nice of you. Putting up with all those people so we can relax a little, I mean."

"I don't want to hear it, Hakkai." Sanzo grumbled. "I'm going for the cigarettes."

"Of course you are."

"I don't need to see you to know you've got a sly smile on your face, you bastard."

"Ha, ha." Hakkai grinned and walked to the window to open it. A familiar little white face had been tapping on the glass. "You know me too well, Sanzo. Hello Jeep, have a nice little flight?"

The white dragon chirped happily as Hakkai pulled him inside the room. He flew over to his master's bed and curled up nice and neat on the pillow. Hakkai shook his head and walked over to join his little pet as well and started to undress. He looked over his shoulder and confirmed that Sanzo was pretending to sleep, which mean any night conversations were out of the question. Hakkai crawled into bed and figured it was for the best. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day after all.

-----

"Look at all the food!" The great sage squealed. Goku was fully stimulated from all the smells and colors everywhere. For such a small town, they sure knew how to throw a party! "It's everywhere! Sanzo! Sanzo! I want some of these!"

"What the hell did I agree to?" Sanzo held his temple and squeezed. No amount of cigarettes was worth this. Every single freaking person who lives within a thirty mile radius was at this little festival. Lights everywhere, shops selling everything and people crowding. Sanzo growled at his empty pack of smokes before turning back to his charge. "No, you can not order the entire tray of candied apples. One."

"Two." Gojyo added. "I want one too, Monkey."

"Sanzo?" Goku waited a beat for Sanzo's permission. Normally he would just go ahead and order two, but Sanzo had been really nice in letting them come in the first place. Goku didn't want to get on his bad side when they were all spending time together.

"Do what you want." Sanzo popped open a fresh pack of his Marlboro Reds. Thanks to the festival, there was a discount. He'd bought a case and a half on his first trip. Sanzo lit a fresh stick and inhaled the wonder that was a brand new product. After enjoying his first whiff, he turned to notice a certain demon in green staring avidly at a stand. "Hakkai, either stop looking at it and wasting time, or buy it."

"Oh, Sanzo." Hakkai turned a bit red when he realized he'd been caught. "I just wanted to look at this new set of pots."

"Do we need one?" Sanzo's smoke filtered up into the air in little strands.

"Well, a few are looking rather dingy and starting to crack." Hakkai coughed. "And a few of the handles are a little worn."

"Just buy a set and stop complaining." Sanzo shoved the card into Hakkai's hands. "I'm going to get a break from this damn crowd."

"Yes, of course." Hakkai looked down at the little golden card in his hands. He tried to control himself after receiving permission to buy an entire new cookware set. The things he could do with a new wok. "Do be careful."

"I'm not a child, Hakkai." Sanzo snarled. "I can take care of myself."

"I know, it's just a very dangerous time for us to be apart. With the bounties and Kougaiji minions running around."

"Shove it, I'd rather get out of this crowd and be at risk."

"Alright then."

Goku frowned when Sanzo started to walk off towards an alley way. He had been sure that they were all having a good time at the festival. Sanzo even smiled a bit when he saw all the flats of his cigarette brand sitting in front of the shops. He munched on his apple absently and turned back to Hakkai who was dealing for the pots. He still didn't understand the need to haggle when the card was unlimited anyway.

"Stop staring into space." Gojyo whacked the kid upside the head. "The dumber you look, the more people think you're a freak. Which, by the way, will affect my reputation with the ladies for being seen with you."

"Shut up, cockroach." Goku took another large bite from his apple and licked his lips. He barely noticed Gojyo smacking his head. "You damage your reputation enough on your own."

"Why you little!" Gojyo grabbed the apple out of Goku's hands. "No treats for bad little pets!"

"You give that back!"

Hakkai turned from the man bagging his pots, knives and silverware (it was just such a good deal!), when he realized Gojyo and Goku had fallen into a scuffle. In the middle of the street way no less, but that was the norm for them. They forget everything else once they start fighting. Gojyo took a swing at Goku and missed to ram into a small fried chicken cart. The owner started screaming but Goku had already tackled the red head. Hakkai thanked the salesman before looking down the alley to make sure Sanzo was fine and smoking before going to break up the fight.

Sanzo held the smoke inside of his mouth and just breathed it in before letting it out slowly. A rat scurried over his foot and he kicked it into the wall and smirked. He dropped a few ashes off the cigarette and onto its back. To think he'd get so attached to a single brand of cigarettes, and it was all that damn head monk's fault. He looked at the little orange glow on the end of the stick. "Life is like a cigarette, huh?"

"Just like yours, Genjyo Sanzo. Too short!"

Sanzo jumped to the side when the ax slammed into the wall next to him. "Shit!"

Marxia grinned when he realized he had caught _the_ Genjyo Sanzo off guard. He picked up the ax again and swung making sure to drive the man farther back into the alley. He couldn't afford to attract a crowd before he completed his mission. Dr. Nii promised him a big promotion if he did this right. "Prepare to die!"

"Go to hell!" Sanzo whipped out his Smith & Wesson and fired the first few shots. The demon was swift and they missed. He cursed, but knew it would at least draw some attention his way from the crowded streets. Distractions work well when you need time to reload your weapon. Sanzo had to dodge again when the ax came closer to his body and cut into the fabric of his robes. Sanzo fired the last shots of his gun and ducked behind a trash bin to reload in the few seconds that he had.

Marxia sliced the garbage tin in half to force Sanzo to back up a few feet. The demon continued to press the monk into the wall and reached for what he needed in his pocket. A single syringe should do the trick, he just had to get close enough to the man to use it! The human dodged his ax again and continued to fire at him but he darted again. So close! A fifth shot flew by his ear and Marxia knew he was in the clear. Revolvers took a long time to reload.

"Damn it." Sanzo snarled as the demon leaped for him. He braced for the impact when he saw a pole fly through the demon's stomach and ram diagonally into the wall behind him. The blood spattered on him, but that was nothing Sanzo couldn't wash off later. He looked around the demon as it slid down the pole to see Goku on the other end. "Took you long enough, monkey."

"Got here in time, didn't I?" Goku yanked the pole out of the demon and grimaced a bit when it fell on Sanzo. He had hoped it would come with the pole and get yanked off the man instead. Goku shook his staff to get the excess blood off before turning to grab the thing off of his master. He became alarmed when Sanzo let out a gasping breath and a small utterance of a pained wail. "Sanzo!"

Marxia coughed blood up into the priest's face. He pushed the plunger on his syringe and watched the green liquid filter into the human's soft flesh. His breath was heavy and ragged and Marxia could feel himself dying, but that didn't matter. "I win."

Sanzo felt Goku fling the demon off before shaking his shoulders. The body hit the dirt with a thick thud. He pushed at the boy and groped for the needle that had stuck his side. Sanzo yanked it out before staring at it. "What the hell?"

"Sanzo!" Hakkai shouted as he and Gojyo rounded the corner of the alleyway. He could see Goku leaning over Sanzo, while the priest himself was holding what looked like a needle.

"Shit, what happened to the monk?" Gojyo trotted over closer to see Sanzo start convulsing and falling over. He turned his eyes to the monkey to make sure the kid wasn't freaking out.

"Goku, what happened?" Hakkai forced Sanzo's shoulders onto the pavement when the jerks became violent. Sanzo was moaning and trying to claw at his skin.

"Don't know, demon attacked and I killed it. It fell on Sanzo and he screamed." Goku was watching Sanzo twitch and could feel his gut clinching. He was so bad at knowing what to do in these situations!

Hakkai nodded at Goku before Sanzo yanked himself free of his tight grip. Sanzo turned and kneeled on his front and grabbed his head tightly before moaning. Hakkai reached down and grabbed the syringe on the ground to get a closer look. Sanzo's head hit the ground as he curled up into a tighter ball. "Goku, it might be poison so keep him still."

"Hey, Hakkai." Gojyo started to stare at the monk. "Is he shrinking to you?"

"What?"

"Gojyo's right!" Goku took a step back as the hunched figure continued getting smaller. After a large heaved breath the entire thing collapsed. The smaller form of the monk wasn't moving. "Sanzo!"

Hakkai in turn rushed over to pull the man face up, but gasped when he got a look at Sanzo's face. "My word."

"They turned the priest into a little girl!"

"Don't be absurd, Gojyo." Hakkai sighed and checked Sanzo's pulse. "He's still a boy."

"You sure?" Gojyo leaned over. "Looks pretty girly to me."

"Stop joking!" Goku hit Gojyo in the shoulder. "This is no time to be joking! Sanzo could be really hurt!"

"Okay!" Gojyo backed off a bit. "How's it look, Hakkai?"

"He seems to be fine, just younger." Hakkai picked up Sanzo in the now tent-like robes and started walking out of the alley. "We should get him back to the hotel though before he wakes up. I don't want to be out in public with him in this state."

"You heard Hakkai, monkey."

"I did, so shut up." Goku growled and followed Hakkai. He looked at the tiny mop of blonde hair that was sticking out over Hakkai's shoulder and sighed. Hakkai had said Sanzo was fine, but Goku still wanted to be absolutely sure. "He's going to be okay, right Hakkai?"

"Yes, Goku." Hakkai sighed. It was much too easy to carry Sanzo this way, and Hakkai couldn't tell if it was just from the decreased weight from adult to child, or if he was just underweight.

During the long walk back to the hotel Gojyo watched Hakkai and Goku. The monkey was worried, nothing new there, and Hakkai was showing signs of stress under that smile of his. Gojyo groaned and hoped this would go over with less trouble than what it looked like it was going to be. The half-demon lit a cigarette and blew the smoke off to the side. People were starting to stare at Hakkai, but then again, so would Gojyo if he saw a man walking down the street with what looked like a naked little girl in his arms.

Once at the hotel, Hakkai put Sanzo down on the bed and checked his pulse and head for a heartbeat and a fever respectably. Finding no sign of illness or bad health, he took off the robes that were smothering the man now that he had shrunk and pulled the blankets up over him. If this didn't wear off soon, Hakkai would have to go shopping for some smaller clothes. Sanzo would hurt himself trying to run around in those long flowing garments, besides, they were ripped anyway. He folded the Maten Scripture up neatly and placed it in the folds of the robes.

Goku sat down next to the bed and watched Sanzo breathing. The little monkey took this time to really get a good look at Sanzo's face. It looked so calm and peaceful sleeping there, with his eyes shut and his mouth slightly open. It looked like Sanzo, but at the same time it didn't. It was missing all of the lines that defined his face, and had a softer edge to it. Gojyo hadn't been completely wrong when he said Sanzo looked like a girl. While he was worried, part of Goku couldn't help but be excited to see Sanzo when he was younger. The man didn't keep any photos around, and he certainly didn't share stories.

Gojyo watched the other three as they acted. Hakkai was watching Goku's reactions, and Goku was staring at the priest like he was a meat bun. He took another look at the monk and noticed the boy twitch. "I think he's waking up."

Goku leaned up a bit when Sanzo sat up in bed. He turned towards Goku and asked quiet plainly, "Who are you? And where are my clothes?"

"Who am I?" Goku blinked. "Don't you know who I am, Sanzo?"

"Sanzo?" The blonde looked around the room. "Where's Master Sanzo?"

"That's you." Goku voice was a little tense. How could Sanzo not know who he was?

"Don't be absurd! Do I look like a Sanzo Priest to you?"

"But." Goku was cut off by Hakkai's hand on his shoulder.

"Goku's confused, I was talking about Master Sanzo earlier, it's just a mistake. May I ask who you are, though? My name is Hakkai." The demon smiled softly. It was clear their group leader was suffering from amnesia. Hakkai decided it would be best to see just how bad the situation was and how many memories the boy had.

"My name is Kouryuu. Koumyou Sanzo is my master."

"Just curious but how old are you?" Gojyo asked through puffs of his Hi-Lite. This was just too funny.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm turning nine this year." Kouryuu huffed and pulled the blankets up a little bit. "Now who are you people and where am I?"

"This is Goku, and the man behind me is Gojyo." Hakkai paused and tried to think of a good explanation for why they'd have an eight year old. "And we kidnapped you."

Goku and Gojyo just stared at Hakkai's smiling face. He couldn't have just said that. Gojyo cleared his throat. "We did what?"

"We kidnapped him." Hakkai glared and smiled. He saw the recognition in Gojyo's eyes and realized his mental message for explanations later had been received. "Don't deny it now that the job's been done."

"Kidnapped?" Kouryuu was confused. "Why would you kidnap me? I'm just an acolyte."

"Because, um, because?" Gojyo stared down at the kid and his brain died.

The red haired man was staring at him and it made Kouryuu feel very uncomfortable. He'd never seen a man with red eyes before either. Kouryuu stopped his thoughts and looked back down at his naked state under the blankets and could feel his pulse quicken. "You're not some kind of pervert are you?"

"Oh hell no!" Gojyo shrieked. Even as a pervert of a water sprite, he had his limits. "I don't do men and I certainly don't do little boys."

"Are we sure about that? You did have fun with that little girl a while ago, and you are a pervert." Goku snickered.

"You take that back you little brat!"

"Gojyo. Goku." Hakkai was stern. Both Goku and Gojyo stopped instantly and became quiet. "Not the time."

"Then why?"

The demon sighed at the boy's skeptical tone, were eight year olds supposed to be this astute? "You're without clothes because we stole you from the bath using those Sanzo robes we found on the line to sneak you out with."

"I don't remember that."

"Goku accidentally hit your head on a wall." Hakkai ignored the increased struggling in the back of the room as Gojyo tried to keep Goku quiet after the accusation. "We were quite worried."

"Okay." Kouryuu watched the other two bickering. And people called him a child. "That still doesn't explain why you took me."

"We figured we'd exchange you for the Holy Scriptures of Heaven and Earth?" It seemed like a good reason at the time.

Kouryuu blinked and smacked his head. "One, Master Sanzo would never give them up for me and even if he did, I wouldn't let him. Two, Master Sanzo's out of town and won't even hear I'm missing for about two weeks."

"Ah," Hakkai chuckled. "Bad timing on our part then."

"Very bad, he might not even know I'm missing at all." Kouryuu looked out the window. "I doubt if anyone even notices I'm gone. And if they do, I doubt they would care."

Goku paused in his new fight with Gojyo when he heard those words come out of Kouryuu's mouth. "I'm sure that's not true."

"What would you know about it?" Kouryuu pouted and pulled the blanket up higher. "They hate me."

"Gojyo, why don't you take Goku and go find some clothes for Kouryuu. It seems he'll be staying with us for quite some time." Hakkai smiled.

"Ah hell, why do we have to do it?" Gojyo grumbled.

"Punishment for fighting in the street a few moments ago?"

Goku kept his eyes on the boy on the bed. Maybe a few moments out of the room would be good for him, he needed to get his thoughts together about this entire situation anyway. "Just come on you stupid water sprite."

Kouryuu waited for the other two to leave before looking at the smiling man. "So now what are you going to do?"

"Hmm?" Hakkai turned back to Sanzo. "Make adjustments to my plans, what else? Why don't you take a nap why they go get some clothes?"

"I don't think I want to sleep around you."

"What guarantee do I have you won't run if I leave you alone?"

"I'm somewhere I don't know, with no clothes and no way to defend myself other than some martial arts but I've got a size disadvantage. Where am I going to go?"

"Those are some good points, but I'm not that dumb." Hakkai smiled and got an idea. "How about if I get a friend? That way someone can watch you for me?"

"Like who?" Kouryuu looked at the man in front of him. The smile reminded him of Master just a little bit.

Hakkai opened the window and called out for his faithful friend. The little dragon of course flew to the window and landed on Hakkai's shoulder. "I need you to do me a favor little friend." He made note to lower his voice when he whispered in it's ear, but made it look like nuzzling the dragon's face. "Sanzo's had a bit of an accident."

Kouryuu's eyes widened when Hakkai came towards the bed with what looked like a dragon. He'd never seen one of those before, and this one was so tiny. "What's his name?"

"Kouryuu, this is Jeep. I hope he can keep you company while you sleep, that way I'll know if you ran and you can feel more comfortable."

"Hello Jeep." Kouryuu could feel the smile spreading on his face when the little dragon cooed in his lap. He pet it softly on the head and then looked back up at Hakkai and yawned. "Okay, this'll work."

Hakkai walked to the door and waited for Sanzo to lay down with Jeep. The boy must have been exhausted from the transformation because he feel asleep again the moment he hit the pillow. The sight of the boy sleeping softly with the little dragon brought a smile to his face, it was just so adorable. Hakkai shut the door behind him and leaned against it, only to slide down to the floor and stretch his legs out. It was going to be an interesting week.


	3. Kidnapped?

And I got chapter 2 out! Took me long enough, right? RK -not to be confused with Kenshin- is coming along a bit slower than I had originally anticipated. However, things should start speeding up after this chapter. Thanks for reading! 

Also, I think I'm developing a fixation for Sanzo and Jeep. They're just so freaking cute together! Besides, in the original story _Journey to the West_ the Horse/Dragon belonged to Master Sanzo. So there. Anyway, Enjoy!

**Chapter 2: Kidnapped? **

"I got your damn clothes, sat here nice and peacefully while you went to check on Master Sanzo sleepin' like a baby up there for what I'm sure is probably the tenth time. Now, start talking." Gojyo huffed. It had taken two hours for him and Goku to find what they thought were clothes that would fit a skinny little eight year old. It had taken three to convince some lady that it wasn't for his kid and why they had a good reason to be buying clothes for an eight year old boy in the first place. To top it off, he'd been waiting for Hakkai to come down and start explaining things and the man only just now showed up.

"I'm sorry, Gojyo. I've just been collecting my thoughts and I wanted to check on him again. He's been sleeping since you left." Hakkai sighed and noticed that one end of the bar was a little quiet for comfort. He steadied himself for the inevitable dealing with emotions. "Are you okay, Goku?"

"Sanzo doesn't recognize me."

Hakkai smiled softly. It made sense that something like that had caused Goku to sit quietly and fiddle with his pant leg. The boy hadn't even touched the food that'd been ordered for him a few moments ago. "He doesn't know Gojyo or I either, Goku. It'll be alright, but for now we'll have to deal with the situation."

Goku nodded and looked up when Gojyo voiced what he was thinking. He put both of his legs back on the floor and turned to Hakkai while Gojyo spoke around a cigarette. "And what would the situation be?"

Hakkai coughed and straightened his shirt. "Let's make sure I have it all sorted out. Through some drug of unknown origin, Sanzo had been transformed back into an eight year old state in both physical and mental capacities, including his memories. Therefore, he doesn't recognize any of us, as far as he knows the demons never went berserk and he still thinks he's living at Kinzan Temple with Master Koumyou Sanzo."

"You forgot something, Hakkai."

"What would that be, Goku?"

"He also thinks we kidnapped him." Goku huffed and reached for a pot sticker on the plate in front of him. He took a bite before continuing. "And that I hit him in the head so hard he forgot."

"Yeah Hakkai," Gojyo propped his foot up on the edge of the bar stool and flagged the bartender for another drink. "Could you explain why that was your first excuse?"

Hakkai leaned over his bottle of saké and sighed. "It was the only thing I could think of at the time."

"You serious?" Gojyo smirked. "No 'we found you on the side of the street' or a 'you were lost' bit?"

"Forgive me, Gojyo." Hakkai sighed. "That didn't seem as believable. I doubt Sanzo would have left the temple on his own."

"Couldn't you have just told him the truth, Hakkai?" Goku watched the man behind the counter serve Gojyo another shot. He poked his own glass of water like it was infectious, which it could have been with all the dirt floating in the cup. "It's not like Sanzo's stupid or anything like that."

"I think that would be bad." Hakkai paused and readjusted himself in the seat. The man braced his leg on the side of the bar counter. "How would you react if someone told you that you weren't turning nine, but going on twenty-four, your master was dead and you were on a journey to stop a resurrection of a demon king that caused the demon population to go psychotic? Let's not forget to add in the child you've been raising for six years and your taboo and murderer friends are going with you?"

"Don't forget his own nasty little habit of killing stuff in cold blood." Gojyo drowned his shot before searching for more cigarettes.

"I'd think you were crazy and not believe a word. I'd be worried because you just admitted to being a murderer, too." Goku paused. "And then I'd try and run away because I'd want to check things out for myself just in case you were right?"

"Exactly," Hakkai poured himself another cup. Goku had begun to fidget again in his seat. "Where he'd find that we were right and then have to deal with the situation that everyone he knows or ever knew is dead. That's quite the shock for anyone, really, least of all an eight year old. I think it's best to avoid the mental trauma and just humor him until we can get things straight."

"Great." Gojyo clicked his lighter repeatedly until the tiny flame made an appearance. A quick puff and lit cigarette later and he continued. "So, until then, what are we going to do with the brat?"

"Take care of him best we can, I guess, and make sure he thinks we did in fact kidnap him." Hakkai shrugged and took another swig. "I handled five year olds, how different could an eight year old be?"

"This ain't no normal eight year old, it's Sanzo." Gojyo leaned over to Hakkai. "No way that man was normal as a kid. He's going to be a pain in the ass to take care of and I can totally believe he didn't have any friends."

Goku stood up from the bar and walked around to kick Gojyo in the leg. "He said the kids hated him, but that doesn't make him abnormal. Kids are mean, so shut up."

"Oh, 'abnormal' is a big word for a monkey. Yeah, and kids are observant, too. They probably hate him because he had a stick up his ass when he was a kid just like he does now." Gojyo inhaled the smoke.

"You don't know that." Goku growled. "Maybe he didn't do anything wrong and he's just like that now."

"Or maybe he had some other issue." Gojyo smirked. "Maybe they hate him because he thinks he's better than all of them. That's the vibe I got."

"Your antennae must be malfunctioning." Goku crossed his arms. "I think you're just mad because he called you out for being a pervert."

"I am not a pervert you little brat!" Gojyo slammed a fist onto the table. "And that's got nothing to do with it. The kid can think whatever he wants, but the fact he went straight for an insult when talking to us supports my point that he thinks he's better than us!"

"You don't know that." Goku mimicked the water sprite and also slammed a fist on the table. "I think he's just observant, after all you _are_ a pervert!"

"Why you little!"

"Please calm down, you're making a scene." Hakkai sighed and took another sip of his drink. He had been watching the tension between Gojyo and Goku escalate since Sanzo passed out in the alley, this was just another obstacle to overcome. He gently guided Goku back a few feet and pushed back down into his seat. This was no time for fights between the lot of them. "This is a pointless argument in any case."

"You're only saying that because I'm right and the monkey knows it." Gojyo blew his hair out of his eyes.

"Goku?" Hakkai watched Goku turn around and walk off towards the stairs without another word. It looked like he was headed for the back room where Sanzo was sleeping. Hakkai turned back towards his friend, who was now pouting visibly, and sighed. "Gojyo, you could be a little more delicate about this."

"I spoke truth." Gojyo shoved himself from the bar. "Say and believe what you want, but none of us have ever been or ever will be normal. And that goes for our childhoods, too. Monkey's going to have to deal with it, just like the rest of us."

"Why do I detect a bit of bitterness in your tone, Gojyo?"

"If kids picking on him was the worst of his troubles, then he didn't have any." The man poured one last shot and downed it in a second. "So he has no right to be so condescending."

"We've only talked to him for about ten minutes, isn't it a bit early to make such an accusation?"

"First impressions stick with you." Gojyo gently set the shot glass on the table and pushed himself up from the wooden stool. "I'm hungry, we gonna' eat sometime or not? Alcohol is good for the soul, but doesn't fill the stomach."

"Yes, there should be a restaurant around. Please go get the others, then?"

"Sure." Gojyo shoved his hands in his pockets.

"This is turning out to be a problem in itself, isn't it?" Hakkai spoke to himself as Gojyo excused himself and headed up the stairs after Goku. He took another swig and wished to every god in the upper heavens that he could get smashed.

------

Kouryuu waited for the door to click shut before he sat up in bed. He stretched a little bit from his nap and pulled the blankets up to his shoulders. That Hakkai guy had come in to check on him again, but he pretended to be asleep to make him go away. Though, if patterns were any indication the man would be back in another thirty minutes to check again. He sighed and looked over at the little dragon that had curled up next to him. "I know you're awake, too. Why didn't you rat me out?"

The little dragon cooed softly and flapped his wings as he woke up fully. Jeep fluffed his fur and hopped over to sit in Kouryuu's lap. The boy pat him on the head and then sat up a bit in the bed. Holding the blankets tight around him, he scooted over so he could get a look outside of the windows. Kouryuu noticed right off the bat he was in a different town from when he started, but it didn't look like any of the surrounding towns either. There were too many people in this town for it to be anywhere near the area he lived. He sighed a little and held Jeep just a little snugger as he watched people walk by down below.

Kouryuu wondered if anyone really would notice he was gone back home. Shuuei might notice he was missing, but then again Shuuei wasn't around the temple very often. He watched a few children run by playing with a bright blue ball and smiled just a little. Maybe if he was somewhere else, no one would know he was a 'river rat' and make fun of him.

Gojyo was such a jerk sometimes. Goku knew that they all had troubles when they were little, but that doesn't mean that there was something wrong with Sanzo. Sanzo just noticed stuff and then was blunt about it. That's not a bad trait, it's just one that most people aren't very good at. He stomped up the stairs but softened his steps by the time he got to the door. He'd have to be careful and not say anything that Sanzo didn't need to know. It was hard to pretend you hadn't known someone for six years, but Goku would do it if it would help. He took a breath before opening the door slowly and stopped when he saw Sanzo awake and looking out the window.

"Hey there," Goku started timidly. Sanzo remained staring out the window and petting Jeep quietly. Sanzo was always sharp as a tack when it came to noticing people around him and it worried Goku that the boy didn't even look behind him to see who came in the room. It was possible Sanzo could just be ignoring him, but Goku had a feeling that wasn't the case. Sanzo's eyes were too glazed over to be aware of what was going on around him. Goku took a few steps closer and coughed. "Hey."

"Oh!" Kouryuu shook with a bit of a start when he heard the louder voice. He turned to see the brown haired boy staring at him from a few feet away. "Sorry, I zone out a lot, sometimes."

"That's okay." Goku smiled. The image of adult Sanzo being caught off guard like that because he was daydreaming was too good of a thought to pass up. Goku pushed down the worry that also surfaced when he realized it also meant that Sanzo would be vulnerable for those few moments. "Just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong. Hakkai said you were sleeping."

"I was." Kouryuu looked away from the boy. He just kept looking at Kouryuu with very familiar looking eyes. They had affection in them, much like Master's and even sometimes Shuuei's. Kouryuu couldn't understand how that affection could be coming from a stranger. "I woke up."

Goku pouted again when he noticed Sanzo was trying to avoid looking at him. The boy was starting to look very small right now to him, and he had started clutching the blankets just a little bit tighter. Goku couldn't stomach the thought that Sanzo could be scared of him, so he took a deep breath before heading towards the boy. He plopped down onto the bed and tried a big smile to make him feel safer. "What were you looking at?"

"The people walking by." Kouryuu's voice was quiet and reserved. He fidgeted a little bit and Jeep started licking the boy's hand and calmed him down. "Where am I?"

Goku blinked. "A town?"

"That's not funny." Kouryuu matched Goku's earlier pout, but this time his brows drew together and began to resemble a certain monk. "I'm serious. How far from the temple are we?"

Goku smiled warmly at the little bits of the Sanzo he knew peaking through. "Quite a ways away. So I wouldn't run away if I was you. You'd get lost and then you could run into some serious trouble."

"How long are you keeping me?" Goku had started kicking his legs a little and leant back like it was the most natural thing in the world to sit together like this.

"As long as it takes, squirt." Gojyo leaned on the doorway and popped a fresh cigarette into his mouth. With his other hand, the half-demon threw a small bundle at Sanzo who had started to look at him funny. "Here's some clothes."

That man was back again, the one with the apple red hair who had been staring earlier. Kouryuu couldn't help but gape at his hair when the man had appeared suddenly in the doorway and therefore, almost missed the bundle of clothes that was thrown at him. After catching the clothes he looked away quickly and kept his eyes on the clothes. It looked like a black collared shirt and some brown slacks. "Thanks."

"No problem, can't have you running around naked." Gojyo smirked. "Somebody might think there was a pervert in the group."

"Right." Kouryuu looked back up, but this time his attention was caught by the man's eyes. Those eyes weren't apple red like his hair, they were a similar hue, but there was something much deeper and darker to them. Something that reminded Kouryuu of the blood he'd seen when he scraped his knee or got a cut. It was thick and deep and he'd never seen anything like it before.

Gojyo was becoming very unnerved, very quickly. An eight year old naked boy was staring at him with huge eyes. The part that made him feel uneasy, was that gut feeling that couldn't decipher if the kid was scared of him or just fixated. Gojyo shifted the foot he was leaning on and took another drag on his Hi-Lite. "What? Something on my face?"

Having been caught staring, Kouryuu blushed a little and looked quickly off to the side and stared at the other boy's belt. "Sorry."

Goku watched Sanzo's face turn down and frowned at Gojyo's tone. "Don't sound like you're scolding him."

"Huh?" Gojyo snapped out of his inner thoughts and turned to the monkey. "What?"

"Kouryuu didn't do anything wrong, so don't sound like that." Goku huffed. "He apologized so you clearly made him feel bad."

"Then the kid's too sensitive." Gojyo grumbled. "Just get him dressed, I'm starved and Hakkai said there's a restaurant a few blocks down the street."

Kouryuu jumped about a foot out of his skin when Goku leaped from the bed shouting "Yay! Dinner!"

"Get used to it." Gojyo laughed at the kid's frightened expression. "The monkey loves food, and just wait 'til you see him eat."

"I'm not a monkey!"

"If it acts like a monkey, and sounds like a monkey, and _looks_ like a monkey, than it must be a monkey."

"Big words coming from a pervert cockroach of a water sprite!"

Kouryuu stared as the two grown men got into a full out argument disguised as a fight. Not even the people in town got into skirmishes like this. Jeep in his lap started moving and started pulling at the clothes in his lap. "I should probably change into these while they're distracted."

Hakkai stared at the bar keep as he took away his liquor on the grounds of 'you've had enough.' Staring at his empty cup Hakkai stood up from his stool, smiled at the man and walked away, perfectly sober. Shoving aside unpleasant thoughts, Hakkai turned his attention to the shouting he could hear coming from upstairs. It seems Sanzo, well Kouryuu, had woken up and the tension had reinstated itself. "No use in avoiding the problem."

By the time Hakkai had opened the door to the room, he could see Sanzo sitting on the bed wearing a new pair of clothes, Jeep sitting next to him of course, watching Goku and Gojyo wrestle on the floor. "By the signs of your fighting, I take it you don't want to go to dinner?"

Goku shoved Gojyo off of him hard and stood up excitedly. "No! I definitely want to go!"

"Well, then let's go, shall we?" Hakkai smiled and watched Gojyo get up off the floor and begin the usual grumblings to himself over the fight. He shook his head and walked over to the bed to squat down in front of Sanzo. He set the bag he had been carrying down onto the floor and pulled out a pair of shoes. "You might want these, Kouryuu. Gojyo left them downstairs."

"Thank-you." Kouryuu slipped on the simple shoes and stood up. "Am I going, too?"

"Of course you are." Hakkai smiled. "We're not going to starve you. Now come, you too Jeep."

Kouryuu walked a few paces behind Hakkai and a few in front of Goku as they walked towards the restaurant. He felt a little funny wearing the new clothes after wearing the simple acolyte dress for his entire life. He pulled at his shirt and watched his kidnappers as they walked. Goku was humming happily and mumbling something about good food and snacks. Gojyo was grumbling and trying to find cigarettes while walking close to Hakkai, and said man just kept smiling. Kouryuu was starting to think the man always smiled like that no matter what. Actually, Kouryuu's overall impression of the group so far was that they didn't seem very bright.

Hakkai had chosen a very nice diner that served as both a pub and a restaurant. The group were seated quickly and Kouryuu felt very out of place sitting at the table. It was his job to serve food and clean up dishes when he was at home; was it really all right to be sitting at the table?

"What would you like to eat, Kouryuu?" The boy looked up when Hakkai addressed him. "I'm sure we're going to end up ordering the entire menu for Goku's sake anyway, but if there's something in particular you'd like?"

Kouryuu blinked and frowned. There was something very strange going on about this situation. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" Hakkai looked up from Goku rambling off his order to the waitress to look down at Sanzo.

"Being so nice." Kouryuu narrowed his eyes a little. "Why would you treat your captive to dinner and new clothes?"

"I already said I wasn't planning on starving you, and it looks suspicious if you don't have clothes." Hakkai laughed. "Right?"

"It still seems weird."

"Ah, so it does." Hakkai looked up at the waitress. "I'll have a bottle of wine as well, and for you Kouryuu?"

"Anything's fine." Kouryuu sighed. The man had already brushed off the conversation and turned back to his friends.

The waitress smiled. "What a cute little girl, I'll bring you a plate of some of our specialty chicken, sweetie."

"Little girl?" Gojyo laughed as Sanzo gaped at the waitress's back as she took the orders to the kitchen. "Ha! I'm not the only one!"

"I'm not a girl." Kouryuu growled. "I'm a boy!"

"We know, Gojyo is just a jerk." Goku grinned at Sanzo across from him at the table. "I hope she comes back with the food quickly!"

"I'm sure she will Goku." Hakkai took a sip from his cup of water. "Kouryuu, what were you doing at the temple before we picked you up?"

"Why do you want to know?" Kouryuu was suspicious at this new turn of events. "And why do you care?"

Hakkai chuckled a bit to himself and took another sip of water. He had a feeling awkward times were going to be making an appearance. "Just trying to keep up conversation."

"The kid should just answer. It's not like it's that hard of a question to answer." Gojyo patted his jacket down looking for that last pack of cigarettes. "Hakkai, we need to get more cigarettes."

Kouryuu grimaced a little at that request. He had seen than man smoke at least ten cigarettes since he was first in the room earlier. They smelled worse than Master's pipe. "If you really want to know, I was sweeping before doing my homework. The same things I do everyday."

"Homework?" Goku hadn't heard of Sanzo taking lessons. He wondered if he should have paid more attention to what the acolytes do at their own temple.

"Yes, I take lessons at the temple and study the scriptures. I need to know them if I want to earn a title someday."

"You're trying to earn a title, Kouryuu?" Goku always got the impression that Sanzo didn't want to be doing his job. It was almost hard to imagine Sanzo getting the job any other way than kicking and screaming, with his dignity still in tact of course.

"Yes, Master Sanzo wants me to take a name in the faith when I grow up. So, I have to study hard now and get the highest ranking I can when I'm older." Kouryuu sighed. "Though, even if I am the best in my classes, I still doubt I make it past clerk abbot."

Hakkai grinned to himself. "I'm sure you'll do better than that."

"Hey!" Goku interrupted the conversation before Hakkai could continue. Something much more important had just come up. "The waitress is back!"

"Let's hope we all get something to eat then and that Goku doesn't eat it all." Gojyo snickered.

"Hey!" Goku growled. "I always leave some for you guys!"

"Now, now." Hakkai rubbed his temples. "Haven't you two fought enough today?"

"They're like children." Kouryuu mumbled.

"Aren't you a child, too?" Hakkai thanked the waitress as she set down his plate and drink in front of him.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean they still don't act like it." Kouryuu stared at the plate of chicken that was put in front of him. He looked up to see Goku already eating everything on the table and Gojyo trying to get as much food onto his plate as he could before the other could grab it. "You weren't kidding when you said he eats a lot."

"Goku has a high metabolism." Hakkai took a bite out of his own meal of pork and went for some rice.

"Something wrong, Kouryuu?" Goku asked between bites. Sanzo had just been poking at the chicken with his fork and looking disgusted.

"It's meat."

Gojyo ate a dumpling. "What's your point?"

"I'm an acolyte at a Buddhist temple." Kouryuu pushed his plate a little ways from him. "I'm not allowed to eat meat."

A silence fell over the table as the group realized that near everything that had been brought to the table had meat in it of some sort. From the dumplings to the cooked beef dipped in sauce. Hakkai chuckled a bit. "Maybe we should have thought to order some vegetables."

Kouryuu sighed and reached over to grab the side of rice that came with his meal. "It's okay. Rice is fine and is what I'd be eating anyway."

Goku stared at Sanzo. "You're not allowed to eat meat? At all? Master Sanzo doesn't let you?"

"Of course not!" Kouryuu pouted. "Besides, he's not even in charge of food. The temple feeds the both of us so we're grateful for what we get."

"So it's because they don't let you have any that you don't eat it." Goku couldn't even imagine life without meat buns. He was glad Sanzo forced people to make them other stuff at the temple. "But otherwise you'd be okay with eating meat, right?"

"That would require killing." Kouryuu took a bite of rice. "Killing is forbidden, so no."

Gojyo dropped his chopsticks and stared at the blonde boy at the end of the table. There was no way he could have heard that right. "Is that so?"

"You don't know very much about the way of Buddha, do you?" Kouryuu sighed. It was times like this he was glad he had memorized a few of his lessons. The monk in training didn't feel like wasting brain power. "The taking of life is not permitted in the path to enlightenment."

"You don't really believe all that shit, do you?" Gojyo fished for his last few cigarettes and his lighter.

Kouryuu was quiet and still before firmly setting his bowl of rice down on the table. He stared intently at the tiny empty bowl and his voice was steady when he continued. "That's none of your business."

Hakkai sensed a little bit of hostility beginning to form in the air, so he played the role of parent once again in the group. "Well, that was a good meal. Did you get enough to eat with just rice, Kouryuu?"

"What?" The priest in training turned back over to the man in the monocle. He had almost forgotten the man was there. "Yes, I'm good."

"Are you sure?" Goku continued to munch on a few pieces of beef. "You only had that one little bowl."

"It was more than enough."

"If he says he's had enough, it's fine Goku." Hakkai flagged down their server and handed over the gold card he had snuck from Sanzo's robes.

As the table was bused, Gojyo lit his last cigarette and decided to get things back on track for a bit. "So, now what do we do with the kid?"

"What do you mean, Gojyo?" Hakkai held on to his alcohol as the woman cleared his other plates.

"I mean," he tilted his head towards Sanzo, "Since _Master Sanzo's_ gone for _two weeks_ what do we do with him until then?"

"Oh," Hakkai paused. "I haven't quite figured that out yet. I guess he'll just hang around?"

"You didn't have a plan B?" Kouryuu asked.

"I'm afraid we didn't." Hakkai chuckled.

"What makes you ask?" Goku piped up.

"Let me get this straight. You kidnapped someone before knowing there was anyone to collect the ransom from, and without doing any research whatsoever about their background? You don't know anything about Buddhists, temples, or acolytes and Goku even thought I was Master Sanzo at first." Kouryuu sat both of his elbows on the table and leaned on them. "And now you don't have any plan at all?"

"That just about sums things up." Hakkai laughed.

"Little know it all brat." Gojyo grumbled. "I'm going to need more cigarettes for this."

Goku grinned and leaned over the table. "That's okay! You and I can play or something while we wait. We can have lots of fun."

"I'm so confused. You're clothing, feeding, taking care of and entertaining someone who is basically your prisoner." Kouryuu sighed. "You three are the worst kidnappers I've ever met."

"So you'd prefer it if we were mean and beat you?" Hakkai casually asked. "We could always tie you up and throw you under the bed to starve for two weeks?"

"That's not what I meant." Kouryuu blushed. "It's just really odd."

Gojyo laughed. "You don't know the half of it."


	4. Travel

Manga info: Kouryuu was 13 when Koumyou Sanzo died and he inherited the title of Sanzo. I'm fairly certain he was around that age during all of the flashbacks in both the manga and the anime.

Rather happy with this chapter. Bit of cute fluff and a little tension before we start dealing with the real troubles of the Sanzo Party traveling with an eight year old.

**Chapter 3: Travel**

"Where are we going?" Kouryuu asked tentatively when the other three began packing their things. "Are you taking me back now?"

"I wish." Gojyo grumbled under his breath as he shoved his clothes into a bag. If it wasn't dealing with the pissy priest, it was dealing with a nosy little brat. "We're heading out on the road."

"Why?" Kouryuu tried his best not to stare at Mr. Gojyo's hair, but it was hard not to. It was just so different from anything he'd seen before! "Aren't you supposed to be waiting to collect a ransom?"

Hakkai chuckled as Sanzo stayed close to Gojyo. As a boy, he had quite the fixation with the local redhead. While it was making Gojyo uncomfortable, it was still amusing to watch the man squirm under the attentions of a child. "It's best not to stay in one place when you're wanted by the law, wouldn't you agree?"

Kouryuu paused and looked over to Mr. Hakkai. He was a nice man, a little strange, but nice. And he made really good tea. "I guess that makes sense."

"I'm so hungry!" Goku complained. The others were just standing around and chatting when they could be packing and getting out of here so the group could get something to eat. "Can't we get something to eat before we go?"

"You already had something to eat an hour ago, how can you still be hungry?" Kouryuu walked away from Mr. Gojyo and poked Goku in the gut. "Where does it all go? You eat enough for a horse, but are thin as a twig."

Goku giggled a bit before waving away Sanzo's hand. He took a step back before grabbing a few things to shove in his pack. "Hey, that tickles."

"Goku just has a very high metabolism." Hakkai laughed as he put the last of his things away in the bag. "He uses up all the energy from the food he eats almost instantly. It's quite a talent."

"Yeah, an expensive one." Gojyo laughed. "All done, let's get this little party moving."

"Yes, come Kouryuu." Hakkai picked up a few bags and headed outside. "You too, Jeep. We can't do anything without you."

Kouryuu looked at the others picking up the huge amount of bags and such things that had been strewn around the room and shifted on his feet with nothing to do himself but watch. He trailed along close to Goku once they began walking because it felt right for some reason. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt a little insecure by himself. He wasn't outside the monastery without anyone else very often and this wasn't a little town just outside of home. Jeep flew by him and headed out the doorway and made Kouryuu smile. His frown returned when Mr. Gojyo blew smoke right in front of him and he heard the man grumbling about carrying the packages. Master smoked a pipe when no one was looking, but it didn't smell nearly as bad as those things Mr. Gojyo was smoking.

"Now, Gojyo. You know Jeep's going to do all the real work, so just put up with it until we get outside."

"Jeep?" Kouryuu looked up to Goku and kept his voice low. "What's he talking about? What can Jeep do?"

"Oh." Goku grinned down at the boy and shifted a duffle bag on his shoulder. "You'll see. Jeep's awesome."

Kouryuu was a little doubtful, sure the dragon was cute and a good companion, but it was a little cruel to make the dragon do the work. It was such a small little thing, but it seemed to just be chirping happily like the others hadn't just said it was going to be carrying everything. "Oh."

Hakkai smiled to himself as they all headed outside. It would be interesting to see how an eight year old would react to Jeep's rather unique talent. "Alright, Jeep. Could you please transform for us?"

Gojyo laughed as Kouryuu's eyes grew about three sizes and he fell back onto the ground from the shock. "What's the matter? Never seen a dragon turn into a jeep before?"

"That's so cool!" Kouryuu pushed himself up off the ground and ran ahead past a grinning Goku and a smirking Gojyo to gawk at the newly appeared forest green Jeep. "How'd he do that?"

"Magic?" Hakkai chuckled. "Well, it's not really important how he does it, it's that he can."

"Alright, enough staring at our local freak of nature." Gojyo threw his bag into the back of the Jeep. "Hurry up and throw the stuff in the Jeep and let's get moving."

"Can we get something to eat?" Goku set his bags down in the back next to Gojyo's. "Pretty please?"

"We'll get something at the next town, Goku." Hakkai walked around to the driver's side and took his seat. "We need to get moving and you did just eat."

"Aw, but I'm hungry."

Kouryuu listened to Goku out of the side of his head. He was too busy to fully pay attention to the boy because he was petting the hood of the Jeep. "You're a good dragon, aren't you?"

"You're always hungry you ape." Gojyo smacked Goku upside the head after his amusement with kiddy Sanzo had ended. "Get in the Jeep and shut up."

"Don't call me an ape!" Goku shouted, but obeyed anyway and jumped into his rightful place in the back seat. It wouldn't do much to argue with the cockroach right now anyway. The faster they got moving, the faster they could get to the next town and get something to eat!

"You too, blondie." Kouryuu looked up when Mr. Gojyo tapped him on the back of the head. "Get in the back with the monkey."

"I'm not a monkey!" Goku reacted on reflex, but there wasn't as much emphasis in the answer. "Come on Kouryuu! You can sit with me!"

"Alright." Kouryuu walked over to the side of the car and tried to pull himself up over the side.

"Here, I got ya!" Goku reached over the side and pulled Sanzo's arm to get him up and over the side. He plopped the boy down into the seat next to him and laughed a bit when his hair got ruffled. "There, in the seat and ready to go."

"You're going to regret getting used to the front seat once he turns back." Hakkai whispered as Gojyo settled into the seat next to him. "Do you think its even wise to sit up here in the first place?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Gojyo chuckled. "You two settled back there?"

"Yup!" Goku laughed as he tossed an arm around Sanzo and pulled him into a hug. "Tight as peas in a pod!"

Gojyo laughed to himself. "Leave it to the monkey to use a metaphor that involved food."

"We've known each other for maybe a day." Kouryuu pushed a bit at Goku's arm. "That hurts."

"Oh, sorry." Goku let go and rubbed the back of his head. "Don't know my own strength sometimes. And don't bother listening to the cockroach!"

"Right." Kouryuu nodded and held the seat of the vehicle a little tighter when Mr. Hakkai started the engine. Instead of a little purring noise it was a loud rumble that came from the front of the vehicle. Kouryuu missed the little cooing dragon just a little.

"Are you okay?" Goku looked down as he felt Sanzo tense beside him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I've just never been in a car before." Kouryuu jumped a little when Mr. Hakkai slammed down on the gas and pulled out of the road. "Is this safe?"

"Don't worry, Kouryuu." Hakkai looked up into the rearview mirror. "It's even safer because it's our very own Jeep and not just a brainless machine. He can even drive himself a little bit if he wants to."

"It's the driver you have to worry about." Gojyo snickered to himself. It was just so much fun watching Sanzo nervous in the back seat. He'd have to remember this for future ammo when he teased Sanzo later.

"Would you like to walk the whole way there?" Hakkai turned to his friend. "I could always pull over for you?"

"No, no." Gojyo waved his hands in the air and then turned to the back. "No worries at all, kiddo. Hakkai's the best driver in the world."

Kouryuu slammed into the car door when the man driving took a sharp right. "I can see that."

Goku smiled a little bit and leaned down to whisper in Sanzo's ear. "Don't worry, Hakkai's driving is a little crazy but he'd never do anything to hurt us. We'll be fine."

Kouryuu smiled a little when he saw Goku's grin own smiling face. It made him feel calm and despite the situation, he felt he could trust him. He adjusted himself in the seat once the driving calmed and the road cleared into the open country. "Okay."

Goku yawned a bit and settled down into the seat and looked to the side. Kouryuu had leaned up a bit and was looking over the edge of the seat and staring at the scenery flying by. "Like it?"

"Huh?" Kouryuu turned around to look at Goku again. "Yeah, it's really pretty."

Goku looked up over Sanzo to see what he thought was so pretty. He saw a lot of trees and the same old stuff he usually ignored, but it was beautiful in a way. A particularly lovely red tree went by and Kouryuu pushed himself up on the side of the Jeep to get a better look. He had such a happy expression on his face it was almost hard to believe it was his own Sanzo. "Don't travel much?"

"Not really." Kouryuu sat fully in his seat and stared out towards the front again. Talking to Goku had pulled him out of his trance looking at the surroundings. "And even if I do go somewhere it's usually close enough that I can walk. I never get to see this type of stuff."

"Ah, it used to be like that for me too. I could only see what was directly in front of me, then later I only traveled a little bit." Goku stretched a bit. There was more room in the back without that giant of a water sprite to take up all the room. "But then I got to meet Hakkai and Gojyo and now we can travel all over the place with Jeep instead of only going as far as we could walk."

"I see." Kouryuu nodded and then looked up at the two men in the front. "What did you all do before you guys did the kidnapping thing? Like, what do kidnappers do for a living?"

Hakkai laughed and pressed lightly on the break when he saw a bit of mud ahead of Jeep. It would be best to go around it instead of through the mud. Jeep didn't appreciate being dirty any more than the rest of them did. "Well, I used to be a kindergarten teacher. But now I mostly leech off of Gojyo's money in exchange for chores. Granted, I might have ended up doing that anyway. The man can't take care of himself at all."

"Ha, ha." Gojyo pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit up a fresh stick. "I gamble for a living."

"Gamble?" Kouryuu leaned up in between Mr. Gojyo and Mr. Hakkai. "How do you make a living gambling? I know you can make money if you win, but don't most people lose most of the time? That's why they warn us against playing at the temple."

Gojyo raised an eyebrow. "You play suckers, get them to bet high, then win and take them for all they've got."

"That doesn't sound very nice." Kouryuu pulled a frown. "It actually sounds a lot like cheating."

"I usually keep the cheating to a minimum, but come on now. I kidnapped you." Gojyo took a drag on his Hi-Lite. "Does that sound like a nice guy?"

"I guess not." Kouryuu pulled himself up a little farther to get a good look at the road in front of them. The path seemed to stretch on forever and the dirt seemed to have a golden sheen to it. After getting a good look, he turned back up and noticed Mr. Gojyo's eyes and hair. "Why are your eyes red? Is it a natural color? Or are they contacts or something, because they match your hair. Is that natural too?"

Gojyo dropped his Hi-Lite into his lap. "Son of a bitch!"

"Are you okay?" Kouryuu asked as the man batted the burning cigarette out of his lap. It was a tiny little flame on the end of the stick, but it must of hurt to get that type of reaction. "I'm sorry. Are you mad?"

"No reason, just sit down and shut up." Gojyo brushed the last of the ashes off of his leg and kept his eyes trailed foreword. Leave it to the brat Sanzo to bring up a bad topic. Now his amused mood had taken a dive downhill, and Gojyo wasn't happy about it.

"Don't take it so hard, Gojyo." Hakkai soothed. "He clearly doesn't know anything about it."

"Brat should mind his own business." Gojyo grumbled.

Kouryuu leaned back a bit and then dropped into his seat next to Goku. Mr. Gojyo was really angry for some reason. He fidgeted a bit before turning back to Goku. "Did I do something wrong?"

Goku pat Sanzo on the head. "Don't worry about it. Gojyo is just sensitive about his hair and eye color. He'll calm down in a little bit."

"Okay." Kouryuu pulled his knees up to his chin and frowned. It might be in his best interest to drop the topic for now. He'd ask Goku or Mr. Hakkai about it later if they still wanted to talk. "Are we going far?"

"Just to the next town." Hakkai turned a bit to look at the now depressed boy in the back seat. "Why don't you take a nap? It'll make the trip seem shorter."

"Alright." Kouryuu yawned a bit and curled up into the side of the Jeep. The ride was a little bumpy, but if he pretended he was on his futon at home, he could almost fall asleep.

"I think that's a good idea!" Goku stretched and mimicked Sanzo on the other side of the Jeep. Without the water sprite to fight with in the back, he was rather bored anyway. "Wake me when there's food."

"Of course." Hakkai breathed out a breath and gave a genuine smile when he saw the two boys sleeping in the back. He waited for their breathing to completely even out and slow down before turning to Gojyo. "He didn't mean to start something, you know that right, Gojyo? He's only eight years old, he's just curious. Most children are around that age."

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Gojyo pulled out another cigarette and his lighter. "I just can't help it sometimes. And it's Sanzo bringing it up, you know? I just keep thinking he should know better."

"I know, but we have to remember that he doesn't remember. If it's really bothering you, you could always sit down and explain to him. He's probably never met a demon before, let alone a half-breed."

"Well, why don't you take off your limiters first and see how that goes?"

Hakkai narrowed his eyes a bit. "I think that's a slightly different situation."

"I think it's the same. It's all about being a different species, right?" Gojyo blew a bit of smoke. "And all that jazz, right?"

"I don't think it's quite that extreme. Sanzo has no reason to be biased against demons at this time. His master is still alive and the demons haven't gone murderous yet."

"So you're thinking he'll be fine with it." Gojyo looked up into the rearview mirror and watched the child sleeping.

"He's fine with it as an adult, Gojyo." Hakkai yawned a bit. He had been up a little later than usually checking out that syringe that had injected the poison or whatever it was into Sanzo. "I see no reason why he'd be a bother to hate you for that as a child."

"He'll find some other reason to hate me." Gojyo laughed. "I'm sure of it."

"I don't know, I think he rather likes you." Hakkai's cheeks pushed his eyes into a squint with the smile. "Call me crazy, but I think he keeps asking about your hair because he likes it. I don't think it's because he thinks you're a freak."

"Sure, you keep believing that." Gojyo chuckled a bit. Leave it to Hakkai to put him in a better mood. "But for now, I think I'm going to join them in a nap."

Hakkai sighed as Gojyo also curled up and went to sleep. This seemed like a normal state of affairs sometimes. Hakkai would drive while the others slept soundly, but he didn't mind much. It just reminded him that he was taking care of the others. Hakkai looked back at Sanzo sleeping and hoped that the trip would go smoothly until they figured out how to turn him back to normal. The last thing they needed right now was for something to go horribly wrong and have a demon attack or something.

"I should learn to control my thoughts." Hakkai sighed. He slowed the Jeep to a stop and shook Gojyo in the shoulder. "We have company."

"You've got to be kidding." Gojyo grumbled. He stood up in his seat and stared at the Kougaiji party, minus Lirin, standing in front of the Jeep. "What can we do for you?"

Kougaiji stood tall and let out a breath he had been holding. He didn't want to believe the rumors that had been spreading through the labs, but the red-head sitting in the front seat did not bode well. He prayed that the information filtering about Nii and his new drug tests were just random ramblings. "What do I usually want?"

Goku leaped up in his seat. "To get your ass kicked! I'm ready so let's go!"

Kouryuu watched as Goku thrust out his hand and a small light started glowing. A large staff with golden rings on the ends appeared and Goku leaped out of the front of Jeep swinging. "What's going on?"

"Nothing important, Kouryuu." Hakkai turned around and put his hand on Sanzo's shoulder to push him back down into the car seat. "Just an old friend who has a rather bitter rivalry with Goku. It's a harmless fight, nothing to get excited about."

Kouryuu looked at the new comer who was now fighting with Goku. He watched Goku pull off moves that he hadn't even seen the best in the advanced martial arts classes pull off. "Wow, he's really good."

"Yes, he is, isn't he?" Hakkai chuckled. "Oh, hello Ms. Yaone."

"Hello Mr. Hakkai. Shall we?" Yaone smiled. Fighting with Hakkai was always wonderful stress relief. Chasing Lirin around all day just stressed her out.

"I think I'll pass today if you don't mind." Hakkai patted the front of the dash before turning his head towards Sanzo in the back. "I'm babysitting today."

"I'm not a baby." Kouryuu pouted. He was eight years old for goodness sake! "And who is she?"

"Another friend, each of us has our own respective rival." Hakkai smiled. "Now do forgive me, Ms. Yaone but I must turn down your request."

Yaone looked at the small blonde boy in the back of the Jeep and made a mental note of his structure and features. Kougaiji had warned her that something like this might have happened. But she had no idea it was true. "Of course, next time then."

"You going to duck out of the fight too, little Bro?" Dokugakuji leaned over the side of the Jeep. He snuck glances at the boy in the back occasionally. Kougaiji was going to have a field day with this news.

"Not a chance, big Bro." Gojyo gripped the side of the door to pull himself up and over to deliver a swift kick to his brother's sword. "You know I hate getting ignored."

"Big brother?" Kouryuu watched Gojyo start a fight with the tall man. It was at this point that Kouryuu noticed that the three who had started the fights all had pointed ears and slit eyes. "Are they demons?"

Hakkai turned to look at Sanzo in the back and coughed a little. "Yes, that's Gojyo's half brother, and the three of them are demons."

"Oh, I haven't met many demons before. They don't come to the temple." Kouryuu turned to Ms. Yaone. "Why are you guys fighting?"

"Oh, um, no reason in particular. They just have something we want." Yaone laughed a bit. "Just a bit of fuss really, we don't even remember how this all started. You know, old troubles and all. But, what's your name?"

"My name is Kouryuu." He tilted his head to the side and tried his best not to stare. Her breasts were huge.

"Kouryuu?" Yaone smiled. "That's a very nice name."

"I guess." After turning away from Ms. Yaone, the boy leaned over past Hakkai to watch Goku. "They're really going at it over there, aren't they?"

"It should be over soon." Hakkai sighed. "They'll tire out eventually."

"So, who's the brat in the backseat?" Kougaiji swung a fist towards Goku's head. He had been catching glimpses of the child and from what he saw, things didn't look good. "You guys picking up kids now?"

Goku dodged a fiery punch to the left and swung his cudgel back towards Kougaiji. "None of your business."

"That usually means you're in trouble." There was no question about it. That kid in the back was Sanzo. Damn that Nii! "Or up to something. What are you hiding?"

"Nothing! Shut up and stay away from him!" Something was up with Kougaiji and Goku was going to pound it out of him.

Kougaiji jumped back from the fight and released his fighting stance. He'd seen all he had wanted to see for today. "Yaone, Dokugakuji, move it!"

"See you later little Bro." Dokugakuji grinned and jumped back to join Kougaiji.

"It was nice seeing you again Mr. Hakkai, and nice to meet you Kouryuu." Yaone waved as she too, joined the others.

"Always a pleasure." Hakkai leaned his head on his hands. Something wasn't right, but he wasn't sure what it was quite yet. He looked back at the boy who was still staring after Yaone and decided it had something to do with Sanzo's little transformation.

"What do you think that's about?" Gojyo pulled out a cigarette and lit it up while leaning on Jeep. "That was too easy."

"Yes, it was." Hakkai leaned back in his seat a bit.

"Giving up already?" Goku shouted. "You usually don't run away with your tail between your legs this fast."

"Just checking something out." Kougaiji taunted. "I'll be back for what I want later. Until then, enjoy babysitting."

Kougaiji transported away with his two friends with the full intention of questioning Nii for the full facts about this situation. This type of experimental tactic was not something he approved of!

Goku walked back to the Jeep after Kougaiji and the others had left. Something was eating at him about the fight and it had something to do with how Kougaiji was distracted during the fight. He kept looking at Sanzo for some reason and that was worrisome.

"Did you have a fun fight?" Kouryuu asked as Goku dropped into the seat next to him.

"Fun? Why do you ask?"

"Mr. Hakkai said that you and that man fight all the time for fun."

Goku grinned and ruffled Sanzo's hair. "Yeah, it was fun. Good for stress relief."

"Yeah." Kouryuu nodded. "That's how I feel after a quick spar at the temple."

"Alright, that has been enough excitement for one day." Hakkai laughed. "Gojyo please get into the Jeep so we can continue. If we head out now we might still be able to make it to the next town."

"Yup, and now if you don't mind I'm continuing my nap." Gojyo settled into the front seat and pulled his jacket up around his neck. "To quote the monkey, wake me when we get some food."

Kouryuu tried to hold back a yawn but he ended up letting out a big one anyway. "I guess I'm a little tired too."

"No wonder, Kouryuu." Hakkai looked over to the side. "The sun's going down."

"Go ahead and go to sleep." Goku snuggled down into the cushion himself. "That's what I'm doing."

"But what about Mr. Hakkai?" Kouryuu nodded sleepily. "Doesn't he want a break too?"

"Thank you for thinking of me, but I'm quite alright." Hakkai chuckled. "Go to sleep."

"Okay."

As soon as Sanzo and Goku were both sound asleep, Gojyo turned to Hakkai. "What do you think that was about, really? Kougaiji's up to something."

"I don't know, Gojyo." Hakkai changed the gear shift and pulled the car into drive. "But I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Sanzo."

"Things just keep getting better and better, don't they?" Gojyo grumbled. "Now seriously, I'm going to sleep."

"Have a good sleep then." Hakkai sighed, again. He hoped that this development would send things for the better than for the worst. But for now, all he could do was keep driving.


	5. Curiosity

The next installment for your reading pleasure is here! I wasn't too happy with where this story was going for a while, but now I've got the entire thing planned out in my head from build up to climax to the ending and it should be a fun ride. Thanks so much for reading with me so far and for your reviews! Enjoy the next chapter!

**Chapter 4: Curiosity**

"Nii!"

A sly smile stretched across a stubble-laden chin as the man heard the shriek echo down his laboratory halls. He leaned on his elbows as the images on his screens clicked by and he watched a pair of well-formed legs in his peripheral. "It seems the prince has confirmed a few well leaked rumors, wouldn't you say?"

"You sound so proud of that." Hwang crossed her ankles as she sat on the desk and stared at the monitors. She pulled her dress down a bit farther when she felt his eyes crawling on her legs. It was bad enough he was with Lady Koushuu, did he have to be such a pervert in the lab as well? "Granted, after this little trick its no wonder you want to show it off."

"I can still give you a shot if you want it." Nii chuckled. "I think you'd be an adorable little girl."

"I'll pass." The doctor watched the car with the test subject travel across the monitor. The little blonde boy was pestering the red-head in the front seat. Hwang hadn't bothered to remember their names. She only watched the progress of the experiment periodically, but seeing the grown man turn into a small child was truly a remarkable feat. "Unless of course you care to share how you did it so I could modify it to my tastes."

"A good magician never reveals his secrets." Nii looked up when he felt the heavy breathing of a certain royal down his neck. Seems someone had broken down the door in his lab. "What can I do for you my ex-bunny prince?"

"What the hell did you do to Sanzo?" Kougaiji slammed a fist down on the counter. "And who gave you the authorization! Dealing with the Sanzo party is my job!"

Nii turned just enough so that the hand flicking off the computer monitor was hidden from the young prince's view. No reason for the young prince to know he had such excellent surveillance floating around the continents. Nii then propped his bunny up into a sitting position on the desk so it could also have a good view of the action. "Finding the scriptures is your job. Dealing with the Sanzo party is a job currently up for whoever Lady Koushuu sends after them."

"That's bull and you know it." This man thought he could do anything that he wanted just because he was the head of the revival project. But Kougaji was determined to put a leash on him and tighten the chokehold. "Now what did you do to him?"

"Could you excuse us, Dr. Hwang?" Nii slowly pushed himself from his chair. "This may lead to conversations that a lady shouldn't be present for."

"Like it's any of my business anyway." Hwang hopped off the counter and grabbed her papers and pens before leaving. That prince had a lot to learn if he intended on deterring Dr. Nii from his plans. When that man set his mind to something, nothing got in his way. And the things that tried, disappeared. Hwang's heels clicked loudly as she crossed the spacious room.

"Now that the lady has departed, start talking. Right now." Kougaiji slammed a fist down for emphasis. Everything on the desk rattled and jumped about an inch, but the human didn't flinch. "And don't you dare lie, because I will find out."

"I'm performing a little experiment because I was bored. Scout's honor." Nii stated calmly. Playing with people's minds was such fun. The good doctor licked his lips and brushed imaginary dust off of his coat. "Would you like to play, too?"

"I already gave you the answer for that." Kougaiji made sure to keep watch on the doors and what the man was doing. Nii remained calm and staring at him with those cold eyes through the glass lenses. They were calculating and Kougaiji had his doubts the monster in front of him was even human. That smug look was making the prince consider ripping out its throat.

"Then stay out of my business."

Kougaiji forced his fist to loosen. Things would go badly with his step-mother if he attacked her little pet. As much as he hated her, she was the only way he could resurrect his mother. And as much as he loathed it, this was the only man that could do the job. "It became my business when you messed with the Sanzo party."

"You should be careful, little prince." Dr. Nii had decided this conversation had ended. The only way to keep it going without lying would ruin his plans and that just wasn't acceptable. Nii adjusted his lab coat and straightened it before making sure to pick up his precious stuffed rabbit. The man started walking away in the same direction as Dr. Hwang earlier and ignored the demon's calls behind him. Just before he reached the door to the back laboratory, he turned to give his last parting advice in a high pitched bunny voice, of course. "Someone might think you cared about them."

Kougaiji stood in his place and controlled his breathing. He would find up what that man was doing if it killed him. That man was dangerous and he would be stopped.

-----

"Okay kiddo, put down the cards and you, monkey, get out." Gojyo grumbled as he burst into the back bedroom. They'd reached a very roomy inn, but still got stuck bunking in doubles. Thankfully, he got to room with Hakkai for a change and Goku was stuck with the mini priest. Unfortunately, spending quality time with Hakkai led to conversations that led to the current predicament Gojyo found himself standing in. If only he could learn to say no to that dumb smiling face. Then again, if he ever learned to say 'no,' Gojyo was sure he'd be without a few vital body parts.

"Why do I have to leave?" Goku sighed. Sanzo had sat in the corner without saying a word for nearly an hour when they had first gotten into the hotel room. It took a meat bun and some careful wording to get the kid to open up enough to play a game of cards. This whole not trusting him thing was really starting to get on Goku's nerves. "I was teaching Kouryuu how to play cards."

"Because Hakkai ordered me to settle my differences with the hostage and reduce the tension in the Jeep during drives." The water sprite clicked his lighter until the necessary flame turned on. Gojyo required nicotine for serious conversations and this one would be a doozie. After taking his time to light the cigarette and take a puff, he continued. "Would you turn down a request from Hakkai?"

Goku pondered this statement for all of a second before standing up. "Sorry Kouryuu, but if Hakkai says to do it, then we do it."

Kouryuu started stacking the cards as Goku went to the door. "Okay, I'll see you later then."

Gojyo closed the door after Goku had left and waited for the sounds of the kid bothering Hakkai next door before heading towards blondie sitting at the table. He sat down on the bed and took a deep drag on his cigarette. The kid was staring at him _again_.

"You shouldn't smoke so much."

Gojyo turned up to the bright, and too big for the boy's face now that he was really looking, violet eyes. "Excuse me?"

"It's bad for you." Kouryuu huffed and put the cards neatly back into their box. "It hurts your lungs and it smells bad."

"It's none of your business if I smoke or not." Gojyo nearly chuckled. Hearing those words from Sanzo should signal the end of the world or something. "Like I'm going to stop just because you told me to."

"I try to tell Master the same thing, but he still smokes his pipe, too." After the cards were neatly put away and shoved to the far end of the table, Kouryuu turned his attention back to Mr. Gojyo. "I don't understand why people do it when you know its bad for you."

"You'll understand when you get older." Gojyo had to smile after that statement. It was all just so ironic. "It's just something kids don't understand. Sometimes, it just feels better to do something bad for you then to not do it at all."

"I guess that makes some sort of sense." Kouryuu yawned a little bit. The plan was to go to bed after Goku finished the card game with him. "So what did Hakkai want us to talk about?"

Gojyo looked at those big eyes completely focused on him and then turned to his cigarette. He watched the little orange glow for a minute before taking a deep breath. "My hair and eyes are red because I'm a half-breed."

"Half-breed? Like one parent is a human and the other is a demon?" Kouryuu stood up from the chair to sit next to Mr. Gojyo on the bed. "I think we heard about that in a lecture once."

"Yeah, my dad's a demon and my mom, well, my birth mom, was a human." Gojyo kept his eyes on the cigarette. "Though, the mom I grew up with was a demon, even if she didn't like me very much."

"How come?"

"I wasn't her son." Gojyo stretched his arm out so he could stab out the cigarette in an ashtray sitting on the table. "And I'm born of a forbidden birth. What else does she need to not like me?"

"So you have red hair and red eyes because you're a half-breed and you had mixed parents?" Kouryuu sat up a little straighter so he could hear better.

"Yup, you got it." Gojyo leaned back a bit to finally look at the kid. His own breathing stopped for a moment when he saw something in the kid's eyes that looked an awful lot like empathy. "All half-breeds share the red hair and the red eyes. It's how people know on sight what we are, well if they know about it."

Kouryuu slumped his shoulders slightly and swallowed. "Did you get made fun of as a kid? For being different?"

Ah, so that's where this was going. The kid gets picked on at the temple and tries to find someone who has the same situation and get some advice. Gojyo wasn't quite sure how to feel about that, but it was nice to talk about it with someone. "Yeah, I did. Though, mom beating me bothered me a bit more than what local kids said."

"Your mother beat you?" Kouryuu's eyes widened. That was horrible! Kouryuu never had a mother, but he was pretty sure that it would be the same as Master hitting him.

"Yeah, but my big bro stood up for me and I still loved her something awful, so it turned out alright." It probably wasn't the best idea for Gojyo to mention how that story ended. "In a way. So what about you? You get beat up or something?"

"Well, not that bad. If they did, it was just the other acolytes pushing me around. The older monks knew better than to actually hit someone because Master would give them much worse in a punsihment." Kouryuu felt a little bad now about bringing the topic up. Mr. Gojyo had it much worse than he did. "But all of that is mostly because I'm an orphan, so the others make fun of me and it doesn't help that Master Sanzo is taking care of me. They think I'm getting special treatment."

"Are you?" Ah, he made the kid embarrassed to talk about his problems. Gojyo chuckled as he pulled out another cigarette. "I'd think getting info from the top monk would count."

"No. He's basically my dad, but he doesn't do any more than that. I get advice on life more than for my studies." Kouryuu sighed. "I think it's a little worse than the others because I'm always worried I'll disappoint him. I think he really wants me to go as far as I can, but I'm not sure if I can do it like he wants."

"Boy, do I know that feeling." Gojyo pat the kid on the back. "Is that the worst of it? If so then I think you'll be fine."

"Well, they also make fun of me because of my eyes, but that's more the adults. Otherwise, it usually doesn't bother me because Master doesn't care about any of the things that they say either."

"Your eyes?"

"Everyone says they make me look like a demon and sometimes I think they're scared of me." Kouryuu looked up at the older man. "Is that true?"

"Yeah, that is an unnatural shade for a human." Gojyo sighed. "But that's not a bad thing. Just means you're unique, though I'm sure you could be pretty scary looking if you wanted too."

Kouryuu smiled. "Thanks!"

"No problem." Gojyo smiled and ruffled the kids hair. Sanzo was pretty cute as a kid, shame he grew up into such a tight ass. "One thing's still bothering me though."

"What?"

"Why would they make fun of you for being an orphan?" Gojyo finally lit his new cigarette and made sure to keep the smoke away from Sanzo. "I can understand being made fun of for blonde hair and purple eyes, or being favored by the head guy in lessons but that one doesn't make much sense."

"Because I don't know who my parents are it's almost like I'm not wanted, or don't belong anywhere." Kouryuu shuffled a bit. "But more specifically how I was found."

"How you were found?"

"My full name means 'swept in by the river.' Apparently my parents didn't want me and threw me in a river, which is where Master Sanzo found me." Kouryuu huffed. "It's why everyone calls me the 'river rat.'"

"River rat?" Gojyo chuckled. "I think we picked up the right kid."

"Why?"

"Didn't you catch the nick names? Monkey for Goku, Hakkai doesn't have one because we all like living, and I get two: Cockroach and water sprite."

Kouryuu chuckled. "It's good to not be the only one with an unwanted nickname."

"Yeah, well you go to bed and I'm going to go bother the monkey." Gojyo pushed off from the bed with his arms and headed towards the door. "Night, kiddo."

"Mr. Gojyo?" Kouryuu asked tentatively.

The man turned from the door to face the kid. "Yeah?"

"Thanks." Kouryuu pulled the blankets over him. "You're okay for a kidnapping gambler who smokes too much."

Gojyo laughed. "Yeah, and you're not so bad for a spoiled temple brat. Night."

The taboo brat waited for the temple brat to get completely under the covers before he shut the door and headed down the hallway. For something that he figured would keep him in a bad mood for weeks, it turned out to be rather satisfying. He made a mental note to make sure Sanzo remembered their little heart to heart. It would be great teasing ammo for years to come. Gojyo chuckled to himself as he opened the door to the other bedroom. "Monkey drive you crazy yet, Hakkai?"

"Don't be silly, I always enjoy my time with Goku." Hakkai chuckled and put down his book.

"It looks like he's been talking and you've been reading to me." Gojyo walked over to the bed and shoved Goku over. He ignored the very loud 'hey!' that came from the boy suddenly removed.

"I have very good multitasking abilities, Gojyo." Hakkai yawned. "But for now, I'm rather tired. Goku, it looks like Gojyo's done with his work so why don't you head off to bed?"

"Fine." Goku stood up from the floor and kicked Gojyo for good measure. "Night Hakkai, night pervert water sprite."

"Yeah, yeah." Gojyo waved as Goku headed out the door and down the hallway. "Well, that was an interesting talk."

"Did you find you two had more in common than you thought?"

"Something like that, but I think you knew that already." Gojyo threw a pillow at Hakkai. "We compared sob stories."

"Did he have any problems with your parentage?"

"Not a one, so shut up and stop looking so damn smug."

Hakkai sat up from the chair and walked over to turn the bed down. It really was getting late and around time for bed. "I think I always look smug according to you and Sanzo."

"Because you're always right." Gojyo laughed. "Makes me sick sometimes."

"You're right a good deal of the time, too." Hakkai turned to head back to the sink in the bathroom after having forgotten to brush his teeth. He had gotten distracted from his nightly routine when Goku had come over to kill time. "Just not at the moment."

"At least Goku seems to be taking this whole thing fairly well." Gojyo rolled onto the bed and sprawled out.

"He finally gets to protect Sanzo and get him to open up a little without getting smacked." Hakkai spoke after spitting the toothpaste out of his mouth. He gurgled a little water before heading back to the bed. "Now that he knows Sanzo's essentially alright, of course he's a little happy to get to know him better."

"I wonder if he even knows that's what he's doing. Knowing the monkey he probably doesn't." Hakkai merely grunted in response, the other man must have been pretty tired. Gojyo flipped himself upright before waving a final goodnight to Hakkai. As long as there wasn't any more problems things would be all right. "Night, 'kai."

"Good night, Gojyo."

In the room next-door Goku had already settled into bed and was watching Sanzo sleep across the room. Jeep had decided to bunk with Sanzo again to make sure that he slept soundly through the night. Goku snuggled into his blankets and smiled just a bit. Sanzo had told him 'good night' before he got into bed. That meant Sanzo was beginning to open up to him and that was a good thing in Goku's book.

-----

"I said I was full." Kouryuu huffed. "I really don't want any more."

"You had two bites, I insist that you finish the plate."

"Hakkai, leave the kid alone so we can go shopping." Gojyo yawned. He hadn't realized he had gotten used to all the noise Goku made at night and couldn't get to sleep. The quiet had kept him up instead of made it easier to sleep. Go figure.

"But he's so thin." Hakkai hovered over Sanzo at the table. This was his one chance to introduce better eating habits into the man. "I don't want him to be underweight."

"I'm just eating as much as I normally do." Kouryuu watched Goku continue eating. "Besides, Goku can eat the rest so it's not a waste."

"Yeah, Hakkai." Goku happily accepted the breakfast plate from Sanzo. "If he doesn't want to eat it then don't make him."

"Well, alright. For now anyway." Hakkai cleared his own plates from the small table and walked over to Jeep to make sure that he had eaten enough as well. After a pat on the little white dragon's head, Hakkai opened a window to let him out for a bit. "Since everyone's done, why don't we head out and do the shopping? Come Goku, Kouryuu."

"What about the cockroach?" Goku tried to sneak a few extra bites off the plate as Hakkai grabbed it.

"He's going to stay here and pack up our things." Hakkai chuckled. "Besides, he hates shopping and now I've got an extra hand to help."

Kouryuu hopped off the chair and reached under the bed to grab his shoes. After placing them on his feet he followed a yet again smiling Hakkai and an excited Goku shouting something about buying peaches. Kouryuu made a note to himself to find out what was so special about peaches. He made sure to wave goodbye to Mr. Gojyo on his way out the door.

Shopping was a fairly normal affair for the group. The town's market was well stocked, not very busy and clean. They even had some lovely flower baskets hanging from poles that Goku had stopped to sniff while walking. At one point he even held up Sanzo so he could get a whiff of the flowers as well. Hakkai picked up the required cigarettes, extra food and snacks and a few cases of wine in the meantime. Kouryuu ended up carrying a few light bags because Goku insisted on carrying most of it when the man returned.

Kouryuu shifted the bags he was holding before trotting up behind Mr. Hakkai. "So, why did you guys need to kidnap me again?"

"Hm?" Hakkai turned away from a stand selling noodles. He was thinking of making stir fry with the new wok he had bought the other day. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's not like you guys are short on money." Kouryuu shifted a bag from one arm to the other. He used his free hand to rub at his nose. "And I can't think of any reason that you'd need Master's scripture unless you're going to sell it."

"Oh, well." Hakkai paused. That was a good question and Hakkai wasn't sure how to answer right away. He hadn't expected the kid to be so observant.

"We wanted a thrill." Goku grinned and threw a couple bags over his shoulder and held his hand out. "And I'll get that bag."

"I can carry it." Kouryuu frowned. "I'm not a weakling."

"Yeah, but Hakkai's not done shopping and I'm sure he'll give you more than that to carry." Goku took the bag from the kid anyway. There was just something off about Sanzo doing any sort of chore.

"Fine." Kouryuu crossed his arms and watched Hakkai pay for noodles. "But that was it? A thrill?"

"Something like that." Goku put a bag on the ground so he could ruffle Sanzo's hair again. Just because he wouldn't let him do chores, doesn't mean that he couldn't take advantage of the fact Sanzo was now two feet shorter than him. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"I feel like more thought should have gone into a decision like that." Kouryuu pulled his shirt down a bit.

"Yeah well, we tend to act before thinking." Goku snuck into a bag to grab a peach. "Except for Hakkai, though we tend to act before he can tell us to stop. Want one?"

Kouryuu took the peach that was handed to him and took a bite. It was pretty good and a little of the juice dribbled down his chin; no wonder the temple was always offering them up to the gods. He looked to the side when he heard a small puppy barking off to the side under a cart. Kouryuu smiled and bent down to get a better look at the small thing.

"See something, Kouryuu?" Goku paused behind Hakkai to see what Sanzo was up to. It was so cute watching him down on his knees looking under a fruit cart.

"It's a puppy." Kouryuu kept his hands to himself. "They don't let us keep pets at the temple. They cause too much of a ruckus."

Goku chuckled. "You've never snuck one in?"

"I fed a mouse for a few weeks once." Kouryuu stood up and brushed off his pants. "I think a cat ate it though. I hate cats."

"Oh, looks like Hakkai's moved on to the next shop." Goku waited for Sanzo to finish before they started walking. "So, what's your Master like anyway? Can't be too nice if he makes you call him Master."

Kouryuu pouted. "He doesn't make me call him that, I do it out of respect. He's the highest ranking monk in the faith, but more important he saved my life. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Goku smiled. He had a feeling him and Sanzo had something like that in common. They were both saved by someone and given a second chance. "So, what is this highest ranking monk like?"

Kouryuu smiled softly as he tagged along with the other two. "To be honest, he's a bit of a flake."

"A flake?" Goku stopped.

"Yeah, he's always talking about being groovy and keeping up with the younger generation. He sneaks away from lessons, he drinks, he smokes and he's always folding paper airplanes. And he does it all with a big goofy smile on his face that almost never goes away." Kouryuu sighed. "I tell him not to smoke and drink but he does it anyway. At least he's getting a little better about not doing it where people can see him."

"Well, you just can't talk some people out of doing some things." Goku laughed to himself. "But, he doesn't sound much like a flake to me. He sounds pretty fun actually."

"Yeah, he's pretty cool for someone in his forties. There's just something great about him. I don't think I've met anybody who dildn't like him and respect him the moment they saw him." Kouryuu looked up to Goku with eyes full of adoration. "And despite all that stuff I just said, he's the wisest person I've ever met. He definitely deserves the position."

"Well, it's good that you like him so much." Goku looked down the street. "But for right now, we really need to find Hakkai."

"We lost him?" Kouryuu looked up at Goku. "Should we just go back to the hotel, or look for him?"

"We better find him or he'll be looking for us." Goku started walking and looked back a bit to make sure Sanzo was still tagging along. He seemed more comfortable around everyone, but he was smart and there was still a chance he might run off. "Let's get going."

"Okay!"

-----

"Isn't that adorable, Ms. Hwang?"

"You're a sick man." Hwang was starting to get frustrated with Dr. Nii. The man had been watching the screen and every move that boy had made since the prince left the lab. "Are you ever going to do your job?"

"I am." Nii tilted his head a bit to look at the second monitor. Kouryuu was tagging along behind the demon child much like the puppy he had seen under the stand. "I'm getting rid of obstacles."

"It looks like you're stalking a ten year old."

"Eight." Nii held up Bunny to the monitor and mimed his little fluffy paws. "Isn't that right?"

"Why don't you just get his plan over with?" Hwang adjusted her glasses down her nose.

"Patience, just because you don't know what I'm going to do, doesn't mean that you should rush me."

"I just want you to get this over with and get back to the work Lady Koushuu is paying you to do!"

Nii swiveled in his chair to turn to his assistance. "Do you have regrets, Ms. Hwang?"

"Other than working for you?"

"I don't have regrets." He leaned his head back to look at the monitor. "But I do have failed experiments. What type of genius lets them sit in failure?"

"One with common sense who knows when to give up and get back to work?" Hwang tapped her nails on the counter.

"Cute." Nii pet his rabbit. "But you're right, which is why I modified the experiment to make it work. Don't you want to see the results?"

"I almost liked it better when you wasted your time playing chess." Hwang rolled her eyes and strut towards the door. "Call me if you're ever doing any real work."

"You know I always do." Nii chuckled as Hwang slammed the door and he tapped a finger on the monitor right next to a close up on the boy's face. It looked like they had relocated the demon murderer and were headed back to the hotel. The focus was a little fuzzy and Nii made a mental note to adjust the camera on his little spy bug. A small beeping noise started on the monitor to his left and Nii sighed as he swiveled over to it. He clicked up the screen to look at the weather forecasts. He laughed to himself as he watched a dark cloud hover over the area little Kouryuu and his friends were in. Dr. Nii held his rabbit up to the light and chuckled. "Looks like rain."


	6. Rainy Weather

The next chapter has come much sooner than expected thanks to nimblnymph. I'm actually really happy with this chapter and from hear the plot is really going to pick up. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Chapter 5: Rainy Weather**

"Can you believe our luck?" Gojyo groaned as the group stood huddled beneath the hotel overhead. The rain was falling in sheets and the dragon had gone on strike on them. To make things worse, Gojyo had to wait for his cigarettes to dry out since his jacket failed to keep out the water.

"Be thankful we reached an inn." Hakkai replied. He huffed a little to himself while petting Jeep's neck from his shoulder. "Even if it is in the middle of no where."

"Well, I just hope this place serves food." Goku held his stomach and fell on his butt to the porch floor. "I'm starving."

"You're always hungry." Kouryuu sighed and pat Goku on the head. Kouryuu watched the rain falling in the bigger drops from the roof and smack onto the porch. If you watched them long enough they fell in a little pattern.

"Looks like the kid's learning." Gojyo snickered and ruffled his hair. Gojyo never in his life would imagine Sanzo could be so cute. "Alright, enough enjoying the scenery, it's just rain. Let's get inside."

"I agree with Gojyo." Hakkai turned and headed into the main door of the inn and looked around for the main desk. A drop of water hit him in the nose and he looked up to see a rather large water spot. The demon sighed and hoped the leaks were constrained to the main office. "Excuse me? Is anyone here?"

Kouryuu followed into the room with the others and looked around the inn lobby. There were dust coated webs and small spiders running around most of the corners. However, the furnishings were rather rich looking and well kept, as the colors hadn't faded in the slightest. "It doesn't look like there's anyone here."

"I think you're right, Kouryuu." Hakkai picked up the guest list on the front desk and noticed that it was empty.

"Hey, I found a sign." Gojyo reached farther back onto the desk. "Says 'Sign in, pick a room, host will be back tomorrow.' He's got a lot of faith in the goodness of people, doesn't he?"

"Even if it is naïve, it is a bit of an admirable trait." Hakkai walked behind the counter and picked up three keys. "Or it just means he won't be back for a while and doesn't care. Anyway, Goku, you bunk with Kouryuu and here's your key Gojyo."

"You bunking by your lonesome, Hakkai?" Gojyo snuck a candy from the dish on the table.

"Yes," Hakkai fingered the key in his hand and looked at the hotel log to see if there was a kitchen. "Well, I'm turning in for the night."

"It's only five." Kouryuu followed in Mr. Gojyo's footsteps and also took a piece of candy out of the dish, though he had to reach and stand on his tip-toes to get to it. Kouryuu couldn't wait until he got taller.

"I'm not feeling too well, so I'm turning in early." Hakkai forced a smile and tried to ignore the sound of the rain pounding on the roof. "Goodnight if I don't see you later."

"Is he alright?" Kouryuu stopped fiddling with the candy wrapper long enough to watch Mr. Hakkai walk off towards a room at the end of the hallway.

"He's fine, kiddo." Gojyo traded the candy for a semi-dried cigarette. "His moods tend to match the weather, that's all."

"Oh." Kouryuu was about to pop the caramel drop into his mouth when he realized it wasn't in his hand anymore. "Hey! Goku that was mine!"

Goku snickered and stuck his tongue out with the treat on the end. After he had pulled the tongue back in and settled the candy in his cheek Goku answered the angry pout on Sanzo's face. "Too slow."

"I think you need a feed bag like they have for horses." Kouryuu shifted his weight. "That way you can just eat constantly and not steal other people's food."

"Ah, but that's no fun." Goku grabbed Kouryuu's hand and started pulling towards the bedroom. "Let's go in the back and play a game."

"Alright." Kouryuu smiled a little. Maybe Goku would show him a new card game they could play.

Gojyo savored his cigarette as he watched Goku drag Kouryuu towards one of the free rooms. He shook his head and stared at his own key before following them. When he passed a window he noticed that the rain hadn't let up at all and blew the hair out of his eyes. It was going to be a long night.

-----

Kouryuu woke up in the middle of the night, when Goku let out a particularly loud snore. He knew it was later because it was still pitch black outside. He looked over to the other side of the room to see Goku snoring upside down on the bed and he could feel Jeep's small warmer body next to his own. The stars and the moonlight would have been filtering into the room, but the rain was blocking the light. Instead there was a steady stream of water flooding down the windowpane.

He stared at the water for a little bit before feeling his throat and coughing lightly. Hopping out of bed with every intention of getting a drink, Kouryuu pat Jeep on the head and made sure he was still asleep. It was interesting how little they were keeping track of him lately. It was almost as if the others had even forgotten they had kidnapped him, though considering their maturity level they might have actually forgotten. Kouryuu pushed the door open slowly and peaked out into the hallway. He checked both ways before noticing the light peaking from the other end.

Kouryuu walked as quietly as he could on the plush carpet before stopping just outside the door. He peaked in through the crack and could see Mr. Hakkai awake and sitting at the window. He had one of the lamps lit and was staring at the water like Kouryuu had been just a moment ago. The difference was Mr. Hakkai was frowning and had his shoulders slightly hunched. Kouryuu watched for a moment longer before turning and running down the hallway.

Hakkai continued sitting and watching the rain while trying to suppress bad memories. He ignored the feeling of blood spattering on his face and the screaming in the back of his head. The demon sighed and put his hand up to the window and trailed his finger down with the water. One would think that after four years he would have been able to get over this rain induced depression and semi-hallucinations. However, despite what should be amble time to get over the worst of trauma, Hakkai was still sitting and watching blood on the walls and falling in tune with the rain. The blood was starting to run down his arm and onto his hands when he heard the door creak open.

Kouryuu jerked and almost dropped his tray when Hakkai flung around to face him. The man's breathing was heavy and he was sweating a little. Kouryuu swallowed before calming his own breathing. "Sorry."

Hakkai ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. It was just Sanzo and there was nothing to worry about. Though, he really should have guess that Sanzo would still be awake as well. "Kouryuu. What are you doing up?"

"I thought you'd want some tea." Kouryuu held up the tray with the little cup and kettle. "It always makes Master feel better when it rains."

Hakkai's lips curved up just the slightest seeing Sanzo standing there with a little tray with green tea. "Thank-you, that's very thoughtful."

Kouryuu smiled and finally walked fully into the room and stopped at the window. He sat down on the floor and poured a cup of tea neatly just like he had been shown. After setting the kettle back down, Kouryuu gently picked up the cup to hand it to Mr. Hakkai. "It might taste a little funny."

Hakkai took a little sip from the cup and smiled. Kouryuu must have made the tea from scratch and let it steep too long. "A little strong, but I like it."

"Yeah, I don't usually make the tea. I just serve it." Kouryuu stood up to look out the window.

"May I ask why you're still up and making me tea?" Hakkai chuckled a little bit at the thought of an adult Sanzo doing the same thing. Even if the man did get the sudden urge to be kind, he probably would have ordered Hakkai to make his own tea.

"I woke up and wanted a glass of water." Kouryuu yawned a litte. "When I saw you were still up I decided to make some."

"Because it made your Master feel better when it rains?" Hakkai took another drink from the cup. "Did he get depressed when it rains?"

"A little." Kouryuu shrugged. "I don't understand why though, it's just rain. It always goes away in a little bit and always leaves everything pretty when it's done. Whenever I ask why though, he just says it puts him in a bad mood."

"It does have that effect sometimes." Hakkai sighed and stared at the little cup in his hands.

"Do you not like the rain either?" Kouryuu leaned on his elbows. "I kinda' like it sometimes."

"It brings back bad memories," Hakkai set the cup down and his smile grew a little when Sanzo automatically refilled the cup. "So you'll forgive me if I'm not too fond of it showing up."

"I guess that can make you depressed." Kouryuu stood up and looked out the window again. He pressed his face against the glass when he saw the light from the lightning reflect off of something. "What's that?"

Hakkai took another quick sip from the cup before following Sanzo's pointing finger. "What's what?"

"That." Kouryuu tapped the glass. "Right there."

Hakkai sighed and set the cup down and hopped off the window ledge to kneel on the floor so he could see eye level with what Sanzo was pointing at. He squinted and adjusted his monocle and finally found what the kid was pointing at. "The bug on the window or the flower on the ledge?"

"The thing in between them out in the yard." Kouryuu huffed. He wasn't stupid; he knew what a bug and a flower were.

Hakkai sighed and looked harder, it was hard to see what he was pointing at with the rain falling down. "I'm sorry, I just don't see what you're pointing to. The rain is in the way anyway, I doubt we could get a clear look at it anyway."

"Then we'll just have to go out and look closer." Kouryuu stood up and started walking out of the room.

"It's pouring rain." Hakkai stood up and took hold of the boy's wrist. This was ridiculous and making his head hurt, but he forced a smile on his face anyway. "You'll get soaked. We can look in the morning."

"But I might forget about it by then." Kouryuu shifted his wrist so he was holding onto Hakkai's. He gave it a tug and started to pull the man after him. "Let's go look now. It's just a little water."

Hakkai let himself be led by the hand as they left the room, but that didn't mean he had given in to the child. "You'll catch cold out there. Why don't you just go to bed and I'll remember."

"You don't even know what I'm pointing to." Kouryuu pulled harder. "It'll take two minutes."

"Kouryuu, please listen to me." Hakkai stopped and pulled his wrist back, dragging Sanzo a few steps foreword with him. "We are not going outside, I have a headache and I'm going back to the room. Go to bed."

Kouryuu pulled his hand back and let it fall to his side. He looked down at the floor and huffed. So much for getting the man's mind off of the rain. "Okay, I'll go put the tea tray up."

"Thank-you." Hakkai followed Kouryuu back and waited for him to pick up all of the things he had brought and then watched him go back to his room. Once the door was shut, Hakkai took his place back at the window and sighed. Much to his displeasure, he found himself staring at the area Sanzo had been pointing earlier. "What could he have possibly seen?"

Hakkai looked at everything he could see from the window and tried to figure out what Sanzo had been stumped by. The boy should know what insects, flora and stonework would be. He doubted it would be the garden figurines; they should have those at the temple. Hakkai smacked his head and stood up with a laugh. "I can not believe I'm going to do this."

-----

"What is that for?" Wang adjusted his goggles as he looked at the notes Dr. Nii was typing. "It looks like an adjustment for the minus wave."

"If it looks like a duck." Nii drawled and adjusted a few numbers. He needed to be careful of his modifications of he'd destroy the final product. He looked at his other monitor and laughed at the sight. Things were going as planned and he made a note to send word of the latest location of the Sanzo party.

"Then it must be a duck." Wang laughed and set a clawed hand down on the desk and shifted his weight. He was getting a little older than he would have liked. "Trying to get the last of the strong willed ones?"

"No, that's a task for another day." Dr. Nii smiled at his bunny. He was just in a good mood today.

"I take it you won't be sharing, then?" The old demon laughed. "A personal experiment then?"

"I have to have some hobbies."

"Your hobbies are frightening, but for what I really came here for." Old Man Wang reached into his pocket to pull out a small note. "From the lovely Lady Koushuu."

"A summons?" Dr. Nii stood. "What wonderful timing."

"Have fun," Wang snickered. "The medicinal cream is in the cabinet if she leaves more little red marks."

"I am quite aware of where it is." Dr. Nii sighed, that woman always wanted to play at the worst times. "Keep Hwang out of my notes until I get back."

"I doubt she'd touch your notes with a ten foot pole."

"This time," Dr. Nii pushed his glasses up. "I think she might risk catching whatever sickness it is she accuses me of having."

"A good one then?"

"It should be the best." Nii smiled to himself. "But then again, what else would you expect?"

-----

Kouryuu wandered into the main hotel dining room rubbing his eyes. He hadn't been able to go back to sleep after his little bout with Mr. Hakkai earlier. Speaking of said man, Mr. Hakkai was sitting at the table with a fresh cup of tea. "You're up early, or did you never go to bed?"

"The latter, unfortunately." Hakkai chuckled and rubbed his shoulder a bit. He had strained it a bit while digging.

Kouryuu got closer to the table and noticed something funny with the man sitting in front of him. "Why is your hair wet? And your clothes look damp, too."

"I had a little adventure last night looking for this." Hakkai sighed and placed a rather heavy object on the table. "It took me a while, but is this what you were pointing at last night?"

Kouryuu stared at the table, and then turned up to Hakkai. "Yeah, it is, but you said you weren't going outside."

"I couldn't stop thinking about it after you pointed it out." Hakkai chuckled and rubbed his eye a bit. He took his monocle off to polish it with his shirt. "Got my mind off of those bad memories though, so I guess I should thank you a little."

"You're the one who's going to catch a cold." Kouryuu sighed and poked the thing on the table. He smiled though, and looked back up to Hakkai to ask his question again. "So, what is it?"

"That, is a zodiacal armillary." Hakkai grinned a bit and scratched Jeep under the chin. The little dragon cooed happily and turned it's little red eyes over to Sanzo as he poked the instrument.

"And what the hell is that?" Gojyo yawned over Kouryuu's shoulder. "Looks like a bunch of circles."

"It looks neat though." Goku stretched and sat down to eat some of the fruit laid out on the table."

Hakkai smiled as all four of them were around the table. "It's an instrument for studying the stars. It measures celestial latitudes and longitudes so you can locate stars."

"That's really cool." Kouryuu picked it up and watched the rings rotate. "Can we use it?"

"It's a little small, but I can show you how its supposed to work at least when it gets darker." Hakkai spun one of the inner rings.

"Is the owner back yet, Hakkai?" Goku poked the empty fruit bowl. "I want to see if they have food."

"We'll go out to eat, how about that?" Hakkai stood up from his chair. "I'm sure there's a tavern or something close by."

"Sounds good to me." Gojyo pat Kouryuu on the back. "Go pack up the stuff so we can get out of this stuffy place."

"Why should I do it?" Kouryuu glared. "It's not like any of it is mine."

Goku looked at the instrument on the table and looked up at Hakkai. "Hey, is it okay if we take that armadillo thing? It probably belongs to someone."

"It's an armillary, but don't worry, Goku." Hakkai picked it up and handed it off the table to Sanzo. "It was half buried and in the back. Even if it does belong to someone, I really doubt if they notice it's missing."

Goku grinned a little as Sanzo struggled to hold the armillary and walked over to grab it. It was so much fun playing the big brother during the past week. "Hey, I got it."

"No." Kouryuu turned away and tossed it a bit to get a better grip on the thing. He turned away from Goku and took a few steps towards the door. "I can carry it."

Goku laughed and put his hands on his hips. Sanzo looked so cute holding the thing and struggling just the tiniest bit. "Okay, you got it. I'll go get the rest of the stuff."

Hakkai had Jeep transformed and ready to go by the time Goku, Gojyo and Sanzo made it outside with the bags. The first thing Sanzo did was secure the armillary under the back seat and take his place next to Goku, who was predictably munching on some more candy from the table. Hakkai wasn't sure how much they owed the Inn for the nights stay, but he didn't question it much. He was sure, however, to leave an I.O.U. for the next time they were in this town.

The drive was surprisingly pleasant for such a dusty road, even a few hours into the trip. The air was still damp and held the dust in clumps to keep it from flying everywhere, but it was dry enough to not be considered mud. There was a clean breeze, slight flower petals flying in the air from the trees that carried a sweet scent, and the swarm of demons with pitchforks that were stationed at the edge of the road.

"Kouryuu, stay in the Jeep." Hakkai slowly pressed on the brakes and gently stopped the Jeep. Hakkai watched the back mirror to make sure that Sanzo did indeed stay in the car.

Kouryuu stood up to look over the seat and past the other two. There was a huge group of demons and they were all screaming and waving knives and torches. "What's going on?"

"Just listen to Hakkai and stay in the Jeep, kiddo." Gojyo summoned his Shakujou and got out of the Jeep. "Goku, stay here."

"Got it." Goku summoned his Nyoiboh and stood on the back seat. "Kouryuu, stay down. This could get ugly."

"Sanzo party!" The head demon shouted. "Be prepared for your demise!"

"We should deal with this quickly, Gojyo." Hakkai summoned a chi ball and got things started by decimating about five demons. "The longer it goes on, the harder it will be to keep Sanzo out of it."

"I agree!"

"Sanzo party?" Despite being told to stay down, Kouryuu was still standing and watching what was going on. "What are they talking about? What are Mr. Hakkai and Mr. Gojyo doing?"

"Don't worry about it." Goku tried to push Sanzo down into the seat but was distracted. "Shit!"

"Goku?" Kouryuu looked up to see Goku tackled by a demon that had broke from the group. Goku bounced up quickly and rammed the staff he had summoned into the demon's chest. There was so much blood and Kouryuu could feel it splattering on his face. "You killed it."

"This isn't the time!" Goku turned back in time to see Sanzo freeze up. "Stay down and don't let anyone see you! I'd like to stay but I'm just attracting attention over here."

Goku ran off a few feet so that he was close enough to watch Sanzo, but far enough away that the demons stayed away from the Jeep. He prayed to the heavens that they didn't notice Sanzo. There was no way he could defend himself in this state. "Alright! Come and get it! I can take all of you!"

There was so much blood. Kouryuu's breathing was increasing and he could still feel the warm blood dripping on his skin and soaking his hair. There were guts too, from Mr. Gojyo cutting people in half with the scythe thing. Others were just dissolving in mid air, like salt in water, from Mr. Hakkai's blasts. Kouryuu reached a shaky hand up to his face and rubbed his fingers in the blood. He felt like vomiting.

"I got ten Hakkai!" Gojyo laughed and sliced through another four in one flick of the wrist. "Better make that fourteen. What's your count?"

Hakkai chuckled and fired another blast into a large group. They all scattered into bits from the explosion. "Somewhere around twenty-three, but I lost count. We'll be all done with this little thing soon."

"Yeah, hey monkey how are you doing?" Gojyo called over his shoulders to look back. Goku was killing anything that came within a foot of Jeep. Looked like Sanzo wasn't having too good of a time though. He was pretty far away, but he looked really pale.

"Great!" Goku flipped over a demon and bashed it hard in the back of the head. He slammed the staff into the ground and swung around it to land a few well placed kicks to the surrounding attackers. "Be done in a jiffy."

Another few flicks of blood hit Kouryuu in the shoulder as Goku smashed another head into the side of the Jeep. He was very close to hyperventilating but he kept his breathing as calm as he could. He heard a bit of a scraping sound behind him and Kouryuu turned to see a demon climbing over the side of the Jeep. "Get away!"

"What do we have here?" The demon chuckled. "A little one, I bet you taste good."

"What is wrong with you?" Kouryuu backed up as far as he could until he hit the opposite side door. He scrunched down in the seat and clamped his eyes closed as tight as they could go. Throwing his hands over his head he shouted, "Leave me alone!"

Kouryuu waited for the demon to hit him but it never came. He felt the Jeep jerk to the side with an impact and opened his eyes to see Goku standing over him, staff out front and a demon flying away from the Jeep. Goku then hit two more and he saw a chain and a blade fly overhead and chop them in half. Kouryuu rubbed at the blood furiously when it landed on his cheeks, but he was sure he had only smeared it.

"Is that all?" Goku shouted and looked around Sanzo seemed like he was unhurt and it seemed calm.

"That was all." Hakkai laughed as he trotted over to catch up to the other three.

"Ha, I think I got close to beating you guys this time." Gojyo smirked and lit a fresh cigarette.

"Not a chance you cockroach!" Goku laughed, but stopped when he felt a slight shaking near his feet. "Hey, Kouryuu are you alright?"

Kouryuu groped for the top of the door and pulled himself up to stand. He saw carnage and blood and guts and body parts littering the street and the grasses surrounding it. His eyes might have been seeing more blood than there actually was, but that didn't change the fact he was still seeing it. And that's not what scared him the most.

"Kouryuu?" Hakkai swallowed a little and leaned over the door. It was highly possible Sanzo could be suffering from shock after an attack like that at such a young age.

"They're dead."

Gojyo blew a little smoke out of his cigarette and sighed. "Yeah, kid. And we're not, so be grateful."

"You killed them." Kouryuu's breathing had calmed. He wasn't scared anymore and he could feel the anger building. "You killed them!"

"Hey, calm down." Goku reached out to hold Sanzo's shoulder but the kid pushed back against him and fumbled with the lock of the door until it opened. Goku looked at his hand and back up. Sanzo had never looked at him like that before, it was almost as if he was scared of him. Goku didn't like that feeling.

Kouryuu hit the ground as he scrambled away from the Jeep. It wasn't possible, they couldn't be that bad of people. "Don't touch me!"

Hakkai had a feeling that something like this was going to happen and there was no reason to beat around the bush. The demon grabbed Sanzo by the arms just below the shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. "Kouryuu, if we didn't kill them, they would have killed us. That includes you and we don't want that. Do you understand?"

"I understand self defense just fine." Kouryuu struggled a bit but couldn't push away. Mr. Hakkai's grip was too tight. "You enjoyed it."

"What?" Hakkai paused and looked closely at Sanzo. He could feel Goku and Gojyo hovering behind him.

"You enjoyed it!" Kouryuu screamed and fought the tears building up. He had thought they were okay people despite everything. But it's clear that he was wrong. "You made it into a game! Those were people, not game pieces. You counted how many you killed, you laughed, you smiled. It, it, it was cruel."

"Hey, we get attacked a lot." Gojyo put his weapon away. "When things get tedious and annoying you try and make them entertaining."

"Why would this happen all the time?" Kouryuu grimaced a little when Mr. Hakkai's grip tightened. "And even if it happens all the time they're still people!"

"The demons are all crazy. They've been attacking at random and are totally vicious." Goku put his own staff away and kept his eyes on the ground. "They're uncontrollable and it's the only way to stop them."

"So they don't know what they're doing? Doesn't that make killing them even worse?" Kouryuu could feel a tear or two mixing with the blood on his cheeks.

"Kouryuu." Hakkai couldn't even begin to think of how to explain this. It never occurred to him that Sanzo would be so objective to their actions as a child. He didn't think values could change that much in a lifetime. Hakkai swallowed and pulled Sanzo a little closer. "I'm sorry if we scared you, but…"

"Shut up!" Kouryuu yelled and yanked back. "Let go, you're hurting me."

Hakkai released his hands instantly and Kouryuu fell down on the ground. Hakkai kept his eyes off to the side after seeing the slight bruising on Sanzo's arms. He hadn't meant to be gripping him so tightly. "I'm sorry, but that's how things are."

Goku and Gojyo kept their mouths shut for the time and just let the silence hang in the air. Goku couldn't believe that this was happening and tried to figure out how to fix the situation in his head. Gojyo ground out his cigarette with his foot and watched the ashes smoke. Hakkai's frown was on his face and the smile long gone. Sanzo just sat in the dirt and breathed heavily, fighting tears.

"Let's go, Kouryuu." Goku reached down to pull Sanzo up but his hand was smacked away.

"I'm not going." Kouryuu growled. "I want to go home. Now."

"We can't do that, kiddo." Gojyo reached down for the arm. "Get in the Jeep."

"I said no!" Kouryuu shoved off the ground and pushed Mr. Gojyo's chest as hard as he could. As soon as the man was out of the way, Kouryuu ran.

"Kouryuu!" Hakkai shouted. This was not good, where there was one demon army there was sure to be another around close by. "It's not safe!"

"Shit." Goku and Gojyo both cursed as the boy shot off towards the woods. Gojyo started running after the kid. "Come back you little idiot!"

Kouryuu could hear the others trailing behind him, but that didn't matter. He had to get away from them before he was fooled any further. If he could get into the woods he could hide from them and then find his way back to the temple. Back to Master Sanzo. He rubbed at his face with his wrist when the blood and tears blocked his vision.

-----

"Where are you going?" Wang looked up as Nii popped up from his chair with a near sadistic glee and started strutting towards the door.

"It's time to start stage two." Nii chuckled as he thrust his rabbit under his arm. Things had worked perfectly and for once those idiot demons had done exactly what they were supposed to do. It couldn't have worked out better for him. His coat billowed behind as he walked and he tilted his head up to the ceiling. He had been waiting for this moment, and he would not let it go to waste. "Now, time for the fun to really begin."


	7. Close Call

The next chapter! Thanks for reading everybody and I hope that I'm keeping your interest. The main story arc has finally been introduced and Nii's made his first move! Read on, review and thank-you.

**Chapter 6: Close Call**

Kouryuu had to stop running when his breath and legs gave out on him. He wasn't sure how far or how long he had been going, but he knew everything hurt, his chest was pounding and he had to stop. He didn't even feel this exhausted after a work out in martial arts class. The acolyte turned behind him to see if Goku and the others were still behind him, but he was pretty sure he had lost them when he took a turn through a hollow log. They were too big to follow him through and he probably ducked in before they could see him. He let out a breath and decided not to push his luck and to at least keep walking.

"Ow." Kouryuu had to stop when he scratched his arm on a branch. He watched his own blood smear a bit with the demons' that was still on his clothes curiously and rubbed at it. It was sticky and it felt weird. Standing still made the wind and the approaching cooler evening more apparent, so he decided to start walking again. He tried to ignore the fact it was getting dark outside and all the noises the forest was making. He never realized insects could be so intimidating as he looked around frantically to make sure it was just insects chirping.

"Well, well, Mr. Bunny Doll, would you just look at that. What do we have here?"

Kouryuu stopped when he heard the new voice in the middle of the background noise. He turned around and didn't see anything but trees and the wind rattling the leaves. He slowly changed his stance just a bit as he tried to remember what he had learned in self-defense. "Who's there?"

"Aw, I'm hurt you don't recognize me." Dr. Nii chuckled as he watched little Sanzo, no Kouryuu, from behind the covering of a few heavily leaved branches. The Sanzo priest stared down at the little bunny in his arms and compared it to the lad in front of him. Both small, adorable, and easy to manipulate. He put on a friendly smile and walked out from the shadows to come face to face with the lost little rabbit. "Then again, I don't believe Koumyou has introduced us yet."

"Koumyou?" Kouryuu stared at the greasy man in front of him. The man had shaggy black hair, glasses, and was wearing a lab coat. He was standing with a slight slouch and had something behind his back, and his eyes were very sharp. Kouryuu swallowed and could have sworn the temperature dropped another few degrees. "Do you know Master Sanzo?"

"I'm an old friend." Dr. Nii pulled his rabbit out in front of him and squat down close to the ground. Raising the pitch of his voice, he mimed with the stuffed toy. "You were four when I met him. Boy did you get big!"

Staring at the rabbit, Kouryuu took a few steps back. Lots of people knew who Master Sanzo was, but that didn't mean that they were good people. "If we've never met, how'd you know it was me?"

"I said we weren't introduced, but I have watched you sleeping." Kouryuu was so cute. Nii was getting even more excited at the thoughts of playing with him.

The man's smile was frightening and Kouryuu's breathing increased slightly. "Watched me sleeping?"

"Yes," Nii continued with his high pitched bunny voice. "The temple folk don't like me at all so I could only visit at night. Koumyou loved to talk about you, so I had to go see you for myself."

"You're really creepy."

Nii laughed and stood to his full height, tucking the rabbit under his arm. "So I've been told. But that never stopped us from sharing a drink or two under the night sky. Tell me though, what are you doing out here? All alone are you?"

The man seemed to be a friend of Master, but there was something pulling at Kouryuu's gut. Somehow, he seemed safer with the kidnappers and their killing spree than he did with master's friend. "No, I'm with someone."

"And would that someone be the reason you're covered in blood?" The light of the setting sun reflected off of the slack glasses. Nii bent forward at the waist and reached his hand out to wipe at Kouryuu's cheek with his sleeve. The blood spread slowly down the edges of the cuff and Nii looked at it admirably.

"And if they are?"

"Well, I don't think Koumyou would approve of that, do you? I think that you should leave them and come with me." Nii took a few steps to further close the distance between the two of them. He put a hand on the boy's head and smiled. "Why don't I take you home to Master Sanzo? I'm sure he misses you something awful."

Kouryuu felt the weight of the man's hand on his head and relaxed his shoulders a little bit. For some reason, this time the man felt warm and Kouryuu could feel himself calm just a bit. He was a little confused, but the man was offering to take him home to Master and that couldn't be such a bad thing. "Can you really take me home?"

"Of course." Nii ruffled the child's hair; like taking candy from a baby. "Now let's get you out of these nasty woods and into something clean."

Kouryuu turned his eyes in the direction he had just run from. The other three were still back there, probably looking for him. But, it didn't seem like they had any real intention of ever taking him home, ransom or not. Despite that, something was screaming at him to run away from this man deep in the back of his head. It had to be the weird stuffed toy he was holding; something didn't feel right about it. "Maybe I should go back and tell them, though."

"I insist." Nii chuckled and pat Kouryuu's head. It's not like he had a choice in the matter in the end. All this decided, was whether or not the cute little boy was going to come with him the hard way or the easy way. Then again, Nii liked doing things the hard way when it came to things like this. He always won. "It's not good for you to be away so long."

Kouryuu tried to take a few steps back but the man grabbed his arm tightly in the same spot Mr. Hakkai had gripped earlier. He winced when the bruise was pressed and pushed at the man's arm. "Let go!"

"It's not safe for you out here." Nii chuckled as the boy struggled. There was just something satisfying about it, but his time was running short. He had experiments to work on and the star pupil couldn't be late. "Just be a good boy."

"No!" Kouryuu tugged his arm as tightly as he could but the man's hand didn't even waver in the air. His shoes dug into the dirt as he tried to push away. "Now let go!"

"Don't you want to see Master Koumyou?" Nii sighed as the boy tried to get away. He had been hoping Kouryuu would be a bit more cooperative. Nii chuckled and reminded himself just made things more fun in the long run instead of being a pain in the ass right now. "I have no doubt he's worried."

Kouryuu was beginning to get scared at this point. He pulled with every bit of his strength and kicked and clawed at this man but he didn't even budge. It was frustrating to think that he couldn't even get the man to even flinch. Was he really that weak and pathetic? Kouryuu's hand was starting to turn blue from the lack of circulation as the elder man squeezed harder against his skin.

"Now, why won't you be a good boy like I've asked and just behave?"

Kouryuu didn't get a chance to answer.

-----

"What do you mean you lost him?" Gojyo screamed. They had been chasing the kid through the woods for at least twenty minutes when they lost sight of him. "What good is that nose of yours then?"

"Shut up!" Goku returned with equal force. Sanzo had been crying. Sanzo never cries and now Goku had lost him. He was angry at everything at the moment and Gojyo was just pissing him off even worse. Goku slammed his foot down on the ground and caused the surrounding pebbles to jump about an inch. "Sanzo was covered in blood and so I can't smell him! This whole forest reeks of demon and he's blending right in. So shut up because I don't see you doing anything!"

"I'm not the one that lost sight of him!" Gojyo shook a fist towards the ungrateful monkey.

"You clearly did if we can't see him now! Or did you forget that you were leading the chase!"

"Because I started after him first unlike you who stood there staring!"

"I was shocked, you pervert! Get off my back!"

"Calm down, both of you. It's not helping the situation and we're losing time." Hakkai scanned with his eyes, but the boy was no where in sight. He couldn't even see signs of the area being damaged from something running through. The others' bickering didn't help either as it was distracting and covered any sign of Sanzo making noise. Hakkai looked up and watched as a few stars started peaking through the sky. If they didn't find Sanzo soon it would be dark and then they'd never find him before something else did. "Alright, this is the plan: Goku, you go North, Gojyo will go South, I'll go West and Jeep will circle above and call if he finds him. No arguing and just find him."

"Right." Gojyo cursed and headed off his direction as the other two split off into theirs. If they didn't find him now, who knows who would. Gojyo remembered Hakkai warning them against other demons camping out in these woods when he saw a few broken branches and cursed. "I swear, if that kid ain't okay I'm going to kill whoever hurt him."

Hakkai tried his best to pick up on anything unusual as he ran. Sanzo was pretty smart for an eight year old, so he is also probably good at covering his tracks. However, Hakkai paused a few steps to listen, as Kouryuu, he was upset and not thinking straight. The demon heard something to the right so he ran in that direction. It sounded like talking and laughter, which probably meant a camp of some sort. Whether he found Sanzo or demons it would be a good thing. The least he could do is kill the threat before it became a problem.

Approaching the clearing he realized his luck at finding a demon camp ground. A rather large, armed, demon camp ground. He straightened back, evened his pace a bit and calmly walked into the middle of a few demons hanging around a camp fire. As he looked like he was supposed to be there, Hakkai coughed lightly and simply smiled. The group of demons gave him a funny look, smirked and then licked their lips. Hakkai sighed inwardly, but a part of him was excited at the chance to relieve some stress.

"Lookie, lookie." A demon laughed. "Lost, mister?"

"No, actually." Hakkai smiled at them and tried not to show disgust on his face. Who knows what they've got roasting on the fire. Hakkai twitched a bit when he saw what looked like a hand. "I'm looking for someone, though. Have any of you seen a small boy?"

"Not since the last one I ate." Another laughed but stopped short when they felt the icy gaze that had fallen over Hakkai's face. His eyes looked dead and the demon had to resettle his nerves. "You trying to start something?"

"No, finish it."

The demons never knew what had hit them.

Goku took deep breaths and tried to locate _anything_ that could lead him to Sanzo. Thankfully, Hakkai had sent him back to where they first lost sight of the boy when he was running. Goku stopped walking when he heard screams off in the direction Hakkai had gone. He could see smoke pouring into the sky and filtering into the sunset. Apparently the man had found a tribe of demons. Goku shrugged it off and picked up his pace again. There had to be some sign of Sanzo out here!

Goku paused a few steps when he saw a large log out in the open. It was big enough that he was sure Sanzo could have ducked behind it, maybe. Goku grit his teeth and headed that way and just prayed he was right. When he got closer he saw a small bit of cloth hanging off the end of the log. It was the same color as Sanzo's shirt.

Wasting no time, Goku jumped to the top of the log and followed it as far as it would go. As he ran his foot slipped through a thin portion and the boy cursed as he tripped and hit the log. He pushed himself up quickly and kept moving as quickly as he could. If Sanzo climbed through this, than he had to be on the other side. "Please be okay."

-----

"Nii, shouldn't you be in the lab?"

Kouryuu froze when he watched Nii's face. The once amused face had been distorted into a frightening scowl. He couldn't even see his eyes anymore because his head was tilted down and the glasses were reflecting the moonlight. The rabbit's ears flapped softly in the wind and Kouryuu could feel the tension that had shattered the air he was breathing. He could have sworn he could see his breath. The man's grip on his arm had tightened spastically and he gasped when the pain shot up his arm. Kouryuu decided that he should definitely not go anywhere with this man no matter what.

Nii refused to relinquish his grip when the boy gasped. He had come so close to his goal and then that bastard of a prince had to show up. This was not how his plans were supposed to work out. Nii stroked Kouryuu's arm softly with a loose finger, that last squeeze must have really hurt. "Kougaiji, my what a pleasure it is seeing you here."

"Enough with the formalities." Kougaiji growled and held an arm out to stop Dokugakuji from moving any farther foreword. They'd give Nii one chance to cooperate, but no more. "You're hurting him, let go."

"Oh my, of course." Nii let go and lifted his hands up in a sigh of surrender. Causing a scene now would be even more detrimental to the works. He looked down at the boy that was still for the most part frozen in place, he smiled to himself. The prince could win this little battle, for now. "So very sorry, I didn't realize."

Kouryuu finally got his nerves together to back up a few steps before slowly walking away from Nii. Once he had cleared the tail of the lab coat, he ran the last few steps to get behind Mr. Kougaiji. Only pride kept him from clinging to the other man's jacket like a scared little weakling. But damn if he didn't want to. "Sure you didn't."

"I'd never intentionally hurt someone so important to a dear friend." Nii chuckled and tossed his rabbit in the air. Catching it and tilting his forehead against it, he had the bunny ask for him. "Forgive me? I just don't know my own strength."

"Stop with the games, you sick sono'abitch." Dokugakuji shouted. This man was a pest, and he could tell even Kou was having a hard time holding back. Hell, they may be on the same side, but this guy crossed lines. Dokugakuji took every ounce of willpower he owned not to draw his sword. Not even pissy Sanzo deserves this crap. "No one cares and no ones got time for them."

"I agree," Kougaiji had a hard time believing this small child was Sanzo when he met him before, but after seeing Nii's interest he could be certain that this was indeed the priest. He put his hand on the boy's shoulder to stop him from shaking. Kougaiji was fairly certain Sanzo didn't even realize he was shuddering like a leaf. "Go home."

"Whatever my prince desires." Dr. Nii tilted his head and licked his lips before taking the few steps back to his transport. When he passed Kouryuu he made sure to have his little bunny say goodbye. "See you later, little Kouryuu."

Kouryuu let a sigh of relief when the man disappeared from sight. While the thought the man was gone was comforting, he still had another problem. He looked up at Mr. Kougaiji and watched the man release his clenched fist. "How'd you know to come help?"

"I knew that bastard was up to something, so I followed him from home. He works for my step-mother." The prince was certain that Nii just walking away could not be a good thing. They won this fight much too easy and Kougaiji was distracted when he heard a little huff from Sanzo. Kougaiji looked down into those huge violet eyes and smiled a little. It was hard to hate kids, even if they were your worst enemy. "You should stay away from him."

"Like you really have to tell me that after all this." Kouryuu rubbed his arms. That bruise was going to be there for a while. Almost the entire upper arm was turning an ugly shade of purple.

"Where are the others?" Dokugakuji relaxed his fighting stance and looked around. He squat down to get eye level with Sanzo. "My bro and the others didn't ditch you, did they?"

"No, I ran away." Kouryuu huffed. He looked up at the two again and noticed someone was missing. "Where's Ms. Yaone?"

"Yaone?" Kougaiji blinked at the change of topic. Why would Sanzo be interested in her? "She's watching my little sister right now at home."

"You have a little sister?"

"Yes, her name is Lirin." Yaone was right, Sanzo didn't have any of his memories from his adult years. Kougaiji tilted his head back and put on a bigger smile. No need to give the kid a bad impression if they wanted him to cooperate. Kougaiji poked Sanzo in the nose with a claw. "She's a handful, but you're not changing the topic that easily."

"Drat." Kouryuu smirked and crossed his arms, cursed at himself when he winced from the pain in his arm still. "You caught on to me, but I did really want to know where Ms. Yaone was. She was nice."

"Yes, and she could probably give you something for that bruise."

"Is she a doctor?"

"Yes, now why did you run away?"

Kouryuu looked down to the ground and shuffled his feet. "The others, they did something very cruel. It made me really angry and I just ran away."

"Let me guess, murdered an army of demons?" Dokugakuji flecked some dried blood from the end of Kouryuu's hair. Now that he had a good look, he could finally notice all of the blood. There was just something about a kid covered in blood that set him off in the wrong direction. Dokugakuji changed subjects when his own little brother flashed into his mind. "And they did it without a second thought?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Kouryuu finished what Mr. Dokugakuji had started by rubbing his hair. He frowned at all the dry blood flakes that fell.

"They do it all the time." Dokugakuji shook his head. "It's a near daily occurrence lately."

"I don't like it either, but I can understand them not wanting to die and fighting back." Kougaiji knelt on one knee to see eye to eye with Sanzo as well. "Not everyone can be perfect."

"That's not why I ran away." Kouryuu narrowed his eyes. "I know the teachings I learn at the temple aren't always absolute. Even Master breaks the rules sometimes because he smokes and avoids lectures. And, I understand killing as self-defense and saving other people, but that's not what they did."

"What did they do?" Dokugakuji leaned over Sanzo's head.

"They had fun with it." Kouryuu clenched his fists. "It made me so angry to see them disregard those lives like that. They had to die for trying to kill us, okay, but not like that."

Kougaiji stood and just stared. This was Sanzo? The man who shot at his own friends without a second thought? The man that thought killing things was nothing but an annoyance? What has Nii done? "Well, despite that, it would be best if you went back. I'm sure they're looking everywhere for you."

"Yeah, my bro's a punk, but he's a good guy." Dokugakuji flashed some teeth in a big grin. "I'm sure he's worried out of his mind."

"Yeah," Kouryuu dropped his arms. "And it's not like I hate them, I was just upset."

"See? There ya' go, now where did you last see them?" Dokugakuji smiled.

"I think I ran from that way." Kouryuu pointed off into the distance from where that log was. "They're probably still over there looking for me."

"Then let's head there." Kougaiji stood up and brushed off his knee. However, when he heard a little 'flap' he looked up to see a rather welcome sight. "Is that Hakkai's dragon?"

"Yeah!" Kouryuu smiled a little. He was rather happy to see Jeep and pet it once the little guy flew over to his arms. "Do you know where the others are?"

Jeep chirped happily and licked Sanzo on the cheek. Once he had been pet and coddled for a minute he backed up out of the boy's arms. He chirped loudly and flew off to get his master and the others so they wouldn't have to worry.

"I guess he's getting the others." Kouryuu stated after Jeep flew off.

"Seems that way," Dokugakuji yawned. "Then I guess we should wait."

"Kouryuu!"

"Did you hear that?" Kougaiji turned behind him. "Sounds like someone calling for you."

"Kouryuu! Please! If you're there answer!"

"That's Goku." Kouryuu replied. The older boy sounded really worried and Kouryuu began to feel a little guilty. He took a deep breath and shouted. "I'm over here! Goku!"

Goku stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the reply. He nearly laughed with excitement as he sprinted off in the direction of the voice. "Kouryuu!"

"Over here!" The mini monk waved as Goku burst through a set of bushes. He squeaked when Goku tackled him into a big bear hug.

"I was so worried about you!" Goku squeezed Sanzo pretty tightly, but he didn't care. He wasn't letting go of him now that he'd found him again. Pulling away just a little bit, Goku made sure he sounded serious. "You could have been really hurt, don't _ever_ do that again."

Kouryuu nodded quietly as he was scolded. The only other person who had ever sounded that concerned about him was Master. It was a little confusing, but it made him feel good. "Okay."

"You're a lousy baby-sitter, Monkey." Kougaiji smirked. Of course Goku had been worried out of his mind. It was his precious monk after all, and completely defenseless at that. Kougaiji chuckled a bit, if he were a lesser demon he would have used that to his advantage.

"Kougaiji?" Goku looked up and finally noticed the other two demons standing behind Sanzo. "What are you doing here?"

"We ran across your little kid here," Dokugakuji pointed down at Sanzo. "You guys gotta' keep better track of your things."

"Hey!" Kouryuu pouted. "I'm not a thing!"

Dokugakuji winked. "Just giving you a hard time, kiddo."

"Mr. Gojyo calls me that too." Kouryuu tilted his head. "You guys really are brothers."

"Well, that." Dokugakuji scratched his nose a bit and laughed off to the side. "I guess so."

"It shows." Kouryuu looked back over to Goku while Mr. Dokugakuji mumbled. "You must have been worried."

"Of course I was! You didn't run into any trouble did you?" Goku asked as he looked at Sanzo's arm. He knew Hakkai had constricted it pretty tightly, but something seemed off.

"A little," Kouryuu didn't elaborate. Goku didn't need to know he had for a few moments considered going with the other man. Or that he knew Master Sanzo. "But Mr. Kougaiji and Mr. Dokugakuji took care of it."

"A little?" Goku looked up at 'Mr. Kougaiji.' "Like what?"

"Demon trouble." Kougaiji felt it was best not to let the enemy in on civil problems at Houtou Castle. Nii was his problem and none of the monkey's business. Besides, it's not like it was a lie: Nii was most definitely not human.

"That so." Goku crossed his arms after he finally took his hands off of Sanzo. The three of them were hiding something, but he'd have to find out just what later. "But in the meantime, let's go meet up with Hakkai and Gojyo."

"Already one step ahead of you, monkey."

"Mr. Gojyo and Mr. Hakkai." Kouryuu looked over Goku's shoulder. "Um, Goku, could you let me go now?"

"Oh!" Goku laughed and released Sanzo. "Right, but how'd you guys get here so fast?"

"Jeep was a great assistance in that regard." Hakkai smiled while petting the little dragon. He felt very calm after such a workout and the knowledge Sanzo was safe. "And Kouryuu, please don't call me 'Mr.,' as it makes me rather old."

"Same here, kiddo." Gojyo laughed. "I'm no mister yet!"

Goku grinned and ruffled Sanzo's hair, ignoring the last little bits of blood flaking off. "And we're all buddies, so you don't need it."

Kougaiji sighed and tapped Dokugaku on the shoulder. "Time to go. See you later, monkey."

"Thanks for findin' Kouryuu!" Goku waved as the two demons disappeared.

"It's good to see that you're alright." Hakkai finally relaxed completely. It was also a welcome blessing that Kougaiji had not seen a need to start a fight. "We were very worried."

Kouryuu avoided eye contact and kept his eyes focused on a twig. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"Good to hear!" Gojyo laughed and rubbed his arms. "Now let's get the heck out of here and find an inn."

Kouryuu smiled. "Sounds good."

-----

Hakkai stretched his arms out as far as he could before leaning backwards to crack his back. "My, that feels better."

"Be a little quieter, would ya?" Goku laughed. "Gojyo and Sanzo are sleeping. That popping could wake the dead."

"Much like your snoring?" Hakkai chuckled as he pulled back the blankets on his and Gojyo's bed. The inn they had found was very tiny, which meant sharing beds in a single room. Though, it felt more like everyone sharing one big bed with as little moving room as there was. Goku of course, was sharing with Sanzo, despite Hakkai's plea to have one large person and one short person in each bed. At least he didn't have to worry about Gojyo and Goku fighting all night.

"Very funny." Goku fell back into his pillow and yawned. He was absolutely exhausted and had every intention of sleeping in until noon. With Sanzo so tiny, he had no reason to wake everyone up as early as possible so he could get his paper and get out of town. While watching the boy breath quietly, Goku's eyes moved to Sanzo's arm. "Hey, Hakkai. Did you notice anything odd about Sanzo?"

"Other than the story he told us is probably a lie?" Hakkai pulled the covers up to his chest. "I rather doubt a single demon attacking him and Kougaiji coming to the rescue is the whole story. It's too convenient."

"I agree." Goku turned to face the little mop of blonde hair. "Something happened more than what he told us. I don't like that he doesn't trust us."

"Well, he did come back with us rather willingly." Hakkai let out a slow breath. He needed to get some sleep so he would be fully functional driving tomorrow. "At least we have that. I doubt things would have gone well if we had to force him to come with us."

"Yeah, that would really suck."

"But, before I completely shut down, what was it that you noticed that was wrong?"

"The mark on his arm is bigger, Hakkai." Goku commented quietly as Sanzo slept beside him. Sanzo shifted in his sleep and turned to face Goku, subconsciously shifting towards the warmer body next to him. He rather looked like a puppy.

"Well, I did squeeze pretty tightly." The demon regretted hurting Sanzo like that. He had been afraid it was worse than it appeared at that moment.

"No," Goku tensed. "You left a mark, but not that big, and it's only on the one side. Something else did that. Believe me, I'm going to find out who did it, and they're going to regret it."


	8. Truth

Got the chapter out a little early just for Nimblnymph, because she rocks. Enjoy & sorry it's a bit short!

**Chapter 7: Truth**

"It's been almost two weeks."

"Two weeks from what?"

Kouryuu rolled his eyes and huffed. For someone who was so smart, Hakkai could be really dense. He shoved a lock of blonde hair out of his eyes before Kouryuu kicked a rock away from the cooking fire. "Two weeks since you kidnapped me!"

Hakkai started setting the dishes into his pack after a rather large breakfast. They had camped the night before and were due out on the road anytime now. Even without their leader screaming at them, they were still on a deadline. But it was probably more to Hakkai's knack for falling into habit that they pressed onward so dedicatedly than anything. At the very least, Hakkai didn't have to worry about five in the morning starts. "Ah yes, I'm aware of how long you've been with us. Are you sure you got enough to eat before I put this away?"

Kouryuu rolled his eyes. "Yes, I ate the whole plate and washed my hands. But really, aren't we going back to the temple soon? Master Sanzo's going to be back any day now!"

"Ah well," Hakkai paused with his dishes. He had feared this conversation was going to come up sooner or later. Hakkai let out a quick breath to even out his composure before continuing with his packing. "We have to let him worry for a few days at least, first. If he isn't aware you're really missing he won't give into demands, will he?"

Kouryuu huffed and shuffled his feet. He didn't want to admit it, but he was really starting to miss Master. Kouryuu had been patient the past two weeks because he knew he wouldn't get to see Master Sanzo anyway and these guys were okay, but he was still a little homesick. "I know that, but it'll take us at least a week to get back to the temple won't it? We've been traveling away from it for two!"

Hakkai was really starting to despise that Sanzo was so bright. Eight year olds weren't supposed to be this aware of their situations and mostly do as they're told. Hakkai couldn't remember if it had been this hard when he dealt with the other school children, but then again: this was Sanzo. Sanzo was just a walking exception to every rule and it was starting to dig under Hakkai's skin. Not to mention it was making excuses harder and harder to come up with that were believable. He tied the end of the bag and stood to brush off his legs. "You really don't have to worry, we do have this part planned."

"Like you did when you first grabbed me?"

"That's a rather low blow for a priest."

"Acolyte."

"It's still the same." Hakkai chuckled and sat the bag in a corner next to some other equipment. He surveyed the campsite for a moment to see what he still had to put away. "Even if you're in training."

"Well, whoever said I was a good one?" Kouryuu smirked and crossed his arms. Hakkai had this knowing look on his face, like he knew what Kouryuu was going to say next. The boy simply nodded and continued his little speech. "They're all a bunch of hypocrites anyway, so why can't I be one, too?"

"That's a rather profound statement for an eight year old." Hakkai smiled to himself. It was fun to see those bits of Sanzo filter through. Kouryuu had his differences yes, but there were still some traits that were one hundred percent Sanzo. The smug little smirk on his face for starters, couldn't have been mistaken for someone elses.

Kouryuu blushed a little and shifted his gaze away from those pretty green eyes. He'd been caught. "I heard Master say it once when he was smoking his pipe again when he wasn't supposed to."

"Well, children do learn from their elders." Hakkai pat Sanzo on the head and was a little relieved. If he had really thought of that on his own, Hakkai would have been concerned about Sanzo's mental health even more so than usual. "How is your arm doing by the way?"

The child stopped and pulled up his sleeve to reveal a small discoloration just below the shoulder, but otherwise it looked fine. Kouryuu poked it in the center. "It doesn't hurt anymore at all. It hasn't since you healed it the day after it happened."

"I'm just sorry I couldn't fix it all the way." Hakkai sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Too many tiny blood vessels to repair."

"It's okay." Kouryuu moved his arm back and forth. "It's good as new."

"That's good to hear. I was afraid I might have actually hurt you." Hakkai smiled softly and continued putting things away. Jeep hovered around about the two of them as they worked. "Now, why don't you help me clean up so we can get going to the next town?"

"Do we really have to move around so much?" Kouryuu stooped down to pick up the pot Hakkai had been using. He struggled with it just a little, but shifted it into the crook of his arm for a better grip. "It's not like you guys seem to be that wanted. No one ever says anything or tries to catch you, well, other than demons."

"That's because we move around too much for anyone to really be on our tail." Hakkai hummed as he set all the supplies together. He'd have Gojyo and Goku load Jeep whenever they returned from their little scouting adventure. Hakkai checked around for anything he had left behind unpacked while keeping an eye for his two missing companions.

Seemingly reading his mind, Kouryuu looked off towards the deeper part of the woods and sighed. "Wonder if Goku found those apples he was smelling earlier."

"I'm sure if Goku smelled apples, that they're out there somewhere."

Kouryuu sat his pot down next to Hakkai's things. Jeep poked his head out from behind a bag and cooed sweetly. Kouryuu caved in and pet the little dragon softly on the head between the two horns. Jeep flapped his wings a bit and shifted to get Kouryuu to scratch between his wings. "I'm surprised he got Gojyo to go with him."

"I am too." Hakkai figured it had something to do with teasing, but knowing Gojyo there was probably a woman involved or he wouldn't have followed. That water sprite was as good at finding women as Goku was at finding food. The demon turned his heads towards the bushes when he heard a rather loud rustling. Seemed the others were back already.

"Hey!" Goku grinned bursting through the trees. He tripped a little on a stick that branched out from the bushes, but quickly regained his balance. He could barely contain his glee on what they found. "We're back!"

Kouryuu looked up at Goku who was holding a large bag in front of him. "Did you find your apples?"

"Better!" Goku chuckled to himself and caught his breath. He had run the whole way back after getting his find. Sanzo was going to be so stoked at what they got! "I found apple pies!"

"Apple pies?" Hakkai stared at Goku and looked down at the now open bag. There indeed sat four crisp pies all neatly wrapped in individual containers. They even had little ribbons holding the cases together and looked like they came from a store. The only problem was Goku didn't have any money. "Where on earth did you find those?"

"From this lovely lady." Gojyo smirked as he held a hand to help his new acquaintance over the stick that had tripped Goku. He at least, was gentlemen enough to wait for a lady. Gojyo tilted his head to brush his hair out of the way. "Her name is Mulin and her father owns a bakery. Mulin, the guy with the monocle is Hakkai and the kid's Kouryuu."

Mulin smiled pleasantly and brushed some of her hair behind an ear. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Hakkai bowed a little and gave Gojyo a look. He should know better than to bring his interests back to camp. "May I ask how you met the other two?"

Mulin blushed and fiddled with the other side of her black hair falling out of her bun. "I was having a little trouble with a demon caller, so to speak, and Mr. Gojyo saved me. I was so grateful I just had to reward him with something. And, Goku was so enthusiastic about how our bakery smelled…"

"So she gave us pie!" Goku interrupted. He should have waited, but he was just so happy! Hakkai's an awesome cook and all, but he never makes pastries. "And it smells really good, too!"

"Well, I'm glad my friends could have been of assistance." Hakkai nodded and looked down at Sanzo who was staring again. Hakkai followed his gaze to the young lady and nearly laughed. "It's rude to stare, Kouryuu."

"What?" Kouryuu blushed and looked away quickly. It wasn't his fault he wasn't used to seeing women around. "Sorry."

"Aren't you just the cutest little girl." Mulin ducked down onto her knees to get a better look at the blonde in front of her. She had the prettiest violet eyes and golden hair, made Mulin a little jealous. "And all dressed up like a boy. How sweet, and you know what? I was a little tomboy when I was your age, too."

Goku and Gojyo burst out laughing as Kouryuu's face turned beat red. He held in the growl as the other two mocked him. Why did everyone think he was a girl? "I'm a boy!"

Mulin blinked and took another look at the flushed and angry face. It was practically formed into a pout and she couldn't help but laugh. "Ah, I'm so sorry. My mistake."

Hakkai put a hand on Sanzo's shoulder and squeezed just a little. That temper looked like something they'd seen before, too. "Don't take it so hard, you do look a little bit like a girl."

"No one at the temple made that mistake."

"Isn't that because they don't allow women at those things?" Gojyo reached into his jacket for a cigarette. He hadn't had his fix this morning yet and it was starting to bug him a bit. "Which is a shame, by the way."

"I guess." Kouryuu huffed. "I don't really think about it."

"Well," Mulin smiled and reached over to Goku's bag to pull out a warm pie. "How about you take the pie as my apology?"

Kouryuu took the plate slowly and looked down at it. He smiled just a little as he felt the warmth seep through the plate. "Thank-you. I can't remember the last time I had a pie!"

"Then I'm glad I could be of service, little man." Mulin stood and brushed off the base of her skirt. "Thank-you again, but I really need to get back home now."

"Aw, can't stay for just a bit longer?" Gojyo winked. "We could get to know each other a bit better."

"I'll have to pass," Mulin giggled and ignored her face flushing. "There are children present."

"Yeah, stop being such a pervert." Goku snickered.

"Shut the hell up, monkey!" Gojyo growled.

"Just calling the facts!"

"Then you need to get your head checked you damn ape!"

"Um, she already left." Kouryuu pointed to the vacant spot between the two griping idiots. "Can I eat this now? Or should I wait, Hakkai?"

"We can have the pie now. It won't be good if it gets cold." Hakkai chuckled as Goku stuck his tongue out and Gojyo groaned about losing another girl. It was all for the best anyway, Sanzo didn't need to be around that type of thing. "So why don't we eat?"

The trip westward was distracted for a few moments as the quartet dug into individual apple pies. Hakkai studied the taste and wondered if he could try to make a pie the next time he found a kitchen. It seemed to be a big hit with the others, especially Sanzo. Speaking, Sanzo was staring at him for some reason. "Is there a problem, Kouryuu?"

"No," Kouryuu took another bite of pie. "I just noticed your earrings. How come you always wear them?"

Gojyo and Goku looked over to their friend as he stared down at Sanzo. Gojyo narrowed his eyes a little and wondered how Hakkai would handle this question. He would either outright lie about it, or tell the truth, or at least some semblance of truth. It was hard to tell with Hakkai and just what he'd do. Gojyo lit another cigarette and just waited for the wave to pass.

"Force of habit, I suppose." Hakkai bit down on his fork. That was all he was going to say on the matter.

"Okay." Kouryuu mumbled and took the last bite of his pie. If Hakkai didn't want to answer, that was okay.

"Alright, we're all done, right?" Hakkai stood and clapped his hands. He felt it would be best to drive attentions to other things. Such as driving. "Let's be on our way."

The others nodded and followed the self-appointed leader in Sanzo's authoritative absence. They did their best to ignore the suddenly dreary mood as they boarded Jeep.

-----

"Sanzo asleep?" Gojyo plopped down beside his roommate sitting in a chair. They had found a charming cabin along their way and were currently making use of its lodgings.

"Yes," Hakkai put down the book he had borrowed from their host for the evening. A lovely story about a fishermen and a woodsmen arguing which is better: the land or the sea. Hakkai was sure the conclusion would be something along the lines of the two sides supporting each other in harmony each using their strengths to support the others' weakness, but he read on anyway. "Went to bed with Goku about an hour ago."

"You going to tell him?" No point in beating around the bush. That was the philosophy of Sha Gojyo. "About your earrings and why you wear them all the time?"

"Not if I can help it." Hakkai tapped the desk with his finger. This conversation had become tiring already. Hadn't they had one like this before? Hakkai couldn't really bring himself to remember. "He doesn't need to know and it will only complicate matters."

"Can't see how," Gojyo fumbled for a smoke. "You just gotta' tell him you're a demon, not how you became one."

"Sanzo's curious by nature." Hakkai stood and stretched a bit. Gojyo took his seat in the chair. "I'm sure he'd get around to asking about it on his own. I'd rather not deal with it at all."

"Suit yourself." Gojyo yawned a bit. "So what are we going to do when he realizes we're not heading back to any temple?"

"I'm not sure." Hakkai sighed and smiled softly as he pulled his over shirt over his shoulders. He glanced at the doorway that held the room the two children were staying in. The door was cracked slightly and Hakkai could hear them both breathing. "I'm sure he'll try to get away again."

"And then we're the bad guys all over again." Gojyo moaned and slunk back into the seat. The thought of chasing Sanzo down again made him a little aggravated. "That kid's going to hate us if we actually force him to stay. Which is what we'd have to do."

"We don't even have a good reason if we're not ransoming him." Hakkai rubbed his temple. "What on earth would we need a little boy for?"

"Don't finish that thought." Gojyo made a disgusted face. "He already thinks I'm a pervert as it is."

"You must be if that's the first conclusion you jumped to." Hakkai laughed.

"Shut up. You're worse than the monkey."

"Speaking," Hakkai paused. "I wonder how Goku will handle things when it comes to that."

"What do you mean?"

"I doubt Sanzo will have much love for us at that point." Hakkai paused. "He'll be hurt and probably take his frustration out on us. Sanzo picks on Goku all the time, but we all know it's not sincere."

"Yeah?" Gojyo had a feeling he knew where this was going, but waited for Hakkai to continue anyway.

"How do you think Goku would feel if Sanzo truly hated him?"

"Pretty damn lousy." Yeah, it had gone in the direction Gojyo feared. This just sucked. "He'll be all depressed."

"Much like we are now."

"Can't do much about it until we get there though."

"That may be so, but for now, it's time for me to retire as well."

"Night." Gojyo savored his last few puffs from his cigarette. He could see the train getting ready to crash any minute. He hoped they handled it well without too much trouble.

-----

"Lady Koushuu," Nii drawled as he ran fingers down her flush back. He was always marveled at how porcelain white it always was under his touch. "You're rather happy today."

"I heard something rather interesting about the Sanzo party today." Dr. Nii thought he could keep secrets. She wasn't the mistress of Gyumaoh for nothing.

"Is that so?" The scientist chuckled into the crook of her neck, listened for her heavy breath. "And who told you?"

"I have my own sources." The lady shifted so he could reach her shoulder blades. He was quite talented when he put his mind to it. "You're not the only one who can bug a landscape."

"My Lady is full of surprises." Nii licked his lips. "So tell me what it is you heard?"

"A certain Sanzo Priest is now an eight year old little boy, yes?"

Nii stiffened and pushed them both forward into the soft covers. He ignored her claws digging into his arm, nothing a gauze and disinfectant wouldn't cure. "And if that's true?"

"I know you do things your own way." Koushuu watched the blood drip down his arms. Licked if off of her nails. "But never forget your first priority."

"Making you moan?"

"Reviving my beloved Gyumaoh." She brushed her hair out of her face and turned her body to face the other man and look straight into his eyes. She ran a clawed nail down his cheek. "That should be your only project and so I expect you to take advantage of this situation instead of playing with him. You're not a cat, as much as you pretend to be."

"Don't worry." Nii took this opportunity to attack behind the dip of her ear. She tasted like strawberries. She must have been using that flavored bath she forced him to make. "We'll both get what we want when I'm done."

"I had better get what I want." The mistress gripped his hair and yanked. "That's why I hired you."

"But that's not why we're here now, is it?" Nii chuckled and looked up at his precious companion. He had been enjoying a fun show for the past few minutes, despite having his long floppy ears covering part of the view. "Have no worries. I am a genius."

"So you are, but get it done."

"Of course."

And Nii knew just how he would do it. Things would fall into place very shortly, and then the Sanzo party would really have something fun on their hands. The glee he felt could almost make him forget where he was and who he was with. He winced as she once again raked her claws down her back. Apparently his Lady wanted his mind on other things at the moment. His next project would involve nail clippers and handcuffs.


	9. Crash

"I didn't help you because I wanted to."

"Yeah? Then why?"

"I like pickin' things up when they fall."

"How hobo of you."

"Ah, get bent."

-Gojyo & Sanzo. Saiyuki Manga.

**Chapter 8: Crash**

Goku watched Sanzo as he drew pictures in the dirt. The once elder man's hair fell into his eyes and held a shaggy appearance. It reminded Goku of those days when Sanzo would work for hours on end and shake his hair in frustration. It was clear Sanzo had been depressed the last few days and Goku was pretty certain he knew why, but didn't know what to do about it. This type of thing was something Hakkai always handled, but Hakkai didn't seem to want to talk about the subject at the moment. So, Goku polished an apple on his shirt and went over to plop down next to the smaller boy and do the best job he knew how. "Want an apple?"

"No thank-you." Kouryuu continued his tracing. If he could get the dirt to stay in place, he might actually be able to write out a few of his lessons. He had already fallen much to far behind in his studies. If he didn't get any practice in, Master Sanzo might be upset when he got to see him again. "I'm not hungry. Hakkai already made me eat too much for lunch."

Goku frowned as the boy kept writing. Sanzo didn't even look up when Goku addressed him. The elder demon poked the boy in the shoulder and frowned when he didn't get a reaction. The Sanzo he knew should have at least swatted at him. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Kouryuu wished that Goku would just go away. He was distracting and loud and the stupid dirt just wouldn't stay put.

"You don't sound fine." Goku's frown deepened further when Sanzo continued to ignore him. So, in retaliation Goku ruffled the boy's hair and grinned when he earned a pout and his hand was smacked away. "What's the matter?"

Kouryuu brushed the bit of dirt Goku had deposited on his head out of his hair and off of his hands before sighing. Looks like he would have to borrow paper or something from Hakkai later to practice. "I don't think you'd understand."

"And why not?" Goku took a small bite of the apple out of the side of his mouth. Held the piece in his cheek for a moment before remembering he had brought it for Sanzo. After a guilty swallow, he forced a grin. Sanzo had said he wasn't hungry anyway. "I've been through a lot, I'll have you know."

Kouryuu took Goku in for a moment and considered. That might be a true statement and he might know what the boy was feeling. At the very least Kouryuu could humor him for a bit, Goku deserved that much. And then maybe he'd take a hint and let Kouryuu study. "I'm trying to remember my lessons."

"Why would you want to work when you're basically on a vacation?" Goku stretched out a few cricks in his back. He could relax a little now that Sanzo was talking again. Jerking the kinks out of his neck next, Goku laughed a little. "If it was me, I'd totally put it off."

Kouryuu frowned and shoved at Goku's knees as they brushed against his own. They pushed up a few inches, but fell right back down again. The boy growled a little and gave them a harder shove. They just refused to stop touching him! "I don't want to fall too behind the others. I do eventually want to earn a name in the faith, you know. If I don't study, I'll fail my lessons and then I'll never get past acolyte."

Goku paused again, barely registering Sanzo trying to push his legs out of the boy's personal space. It was so weird hearing Sanzo speak in support of the stuff that they did at the temple. Normally he hated all of it and ignored them or yelled at them, or just sat and smoked. Well, he did all the paperwork for some reason, and the assignments, but that doesn't mean he was happy when he did them. Goku usually just assumed he did it to get out of teaching lectures or something like that. But this, this was different. "It surprises me that you're in to all that stuff."

"And why is that?" Kouryuu huffed and just let Goku's knees rest on his thighs. He was too tired to keep pushing at them. "You don't think I'm good enough?"

"No, nothing like that." Goku laughed. "If anything, you're way too smart for your age."

"Then what are you surprised about?"

"You just seem like the type who wouldn't believe in any of it." Goku poked him in the arm again. Sanzo got the cutest look on his face whenever he scowled. Goku chuckled to himself when he imagined Hakkai's masochism was brushing off on him. "Let alone follow the book strictly. I'd think you'd be more skeptical about the whole thing."

"Well," Kouryuu smudged the little bit of writing he had made back into the ground and cleared his slate. He drew a little picture of a peach instead and smiled a little when he realized he had Goku's full attention. "It's not like I really like any of it. Most of it's boring and the other monks are mostly jerks."

"Then why do it?" Goku gave up his will power and took another bite of the apple. It wasn't his fault Sanzo was drawing food and making him hungry. Or that it was just sitting there all nice and pretty begging to be eaten or anything.

"It's what Master Sanzo wants." Kouryuu's voice became much softer as he drew little branches from his peach. He tried to remember what the tree in the yard looked like. The big one that Master Sanzo would always smoke behind. "I'd do anything for him."

That last sentence made Goku pause in his chew. The tone of his voice and the slight feel of awe hit Goku hard in the gut. He knew that feeling better than anyone else and hearing it from Sanzo sent a little chill down his spine. It was a disturbing feeling. "Even if you hated it?"

"Master Sanzo saved me." Kouryuu smiled just a little as he continued talking. It'd been a long time since he'd talked like this about Master. "So, I'll do whatever he wants me to do. I want to make him proud more than anything else."

"You really love this guy, don't you." Goku drawled out slowly. He was trying to make his brain process the information he was getting. Sanzo never talked about himself, and maybe this was his chance to find out what makes Sanzo so sad. He had never known that there was someone else Sanzo had really cared about. Other than small hints at it, and from what he had picked up about his master, Goku never had much to work with. At the very least, Sanzo had never been so open about his feelings and Goku was anxious.

"Yeah." Kouryuu finally looked up to see Goku's face. It had gotten very morose and was making Kouryuu worry a little. If the kid had learned anything, it's that Goku needs to have a happier expression. "I'm sorry, I've made you feel bad somehow. I just really miss Master Sanzo and I was sure I'd have gotten to see him by now. I can't stop thinking about him, so I guess I couldn't stop talking about him either. Do you have someone like that, too?"

At first, the hungry boy had to blink and take in the long stream of words that had come out of the boy's mouth. Goku smiled a little and sat the apple down in between the two of them, fingered the stem a bit. He knew exactly what that felt like. "Yeah, I do. I know exactly how you feel. But, I'm still a little hurt you're so lonely with all of us around."

"I'm not lonely, exactly." Kouryuu pulled his knees up to his chest and tilted his head. Goku's mood seemed to have improved a little bit, though he did stop eating. That still left a nagging feeling. Kouryuu picked up the apple and studied the indents of Goku's teeth. On the edges were slightly bigger marks where Goku's incisors had hit the skin. "I just miss him."

Goku couldn't bring himself to tell the boy the truth. All he could think of were the honeyed words Sanzo wanted to hear. "I'm sure you'll see him soon enough."

"Yeah, Hakkai said we'd be going back soon." Kouryuu rolled his foot. "I just want to see him now."

"Argh, this is making me depressed." Goku fell onto his back and looked up at Sanzo. He had somehow captured the boy's total attention, and that made him feel pretty good. "Let's talk about something happy. How did he save you, this master of yours? You keep telling me that he did, but you've yet to say how."

"He pulled me out of the river."

"You fell in?" Goku put his arms behind his head and watched as Sanzo's face darkened slightly.

"No." Kouryuu spoke very quietly and picked at the apple peal a bit. He plucked off a section and dropped it to the ground. "Someone threw me in when I was a baby. I guess they didn't want me."

"They're losers to not have wanted you." Goku sat up a little and punched the boy in the arm. Laughed when Sanzo dropped the apple even after struggling to keep a hold of it. Goku picked it up and finished in a single bite. "You're a good kid."

"Master thinks so, too. He said he heard me calling him, so he had to go pick me up so I'd shut up. I don't quite know what he means though. He tells me all the time, though."

"Calling you say?" Goku laughed and thought of the first time he met Sanzo. "No wonder you two were meant for each other, right?"

"I guess." Kouryuu stood up and brushed off his pants. "Now you're just acting weird. Let's go see what the others are doing."

"Sounds good." Goku grinned and bounded up to his feet. "I'll race ya!"

"Hey!" Kouryuu shouted and started chasing after the other boy. "No fair! You got a head start!"

"Life's not fair!"

"Oh shut up!" Kouryuu laughed as he ran. "I'm going to catch you!"

-----

"What are you smiling about this time?" Ms. Hwang leaned over Nii's shoulder and stared at his monitor. He had that little boy on the screen again. Sometimes she really wondered whether or not the man was a pedophile.

"Nothing you'd find interesting, my dear." Nii watched the monitor closely and switched the screen to another conversation. If things timed out right, he might have another chance at grabbing the boy. But for now, he had more fun things to attend to. "But speaking of interesting things, seems our Lady got some fun news."

Hwang's face turned beet red and she nearly dropped her clipboard. She cleared her throat of the phlegm that had gathered quickly and straightened her glasses out. "That so?"

"It seems someone informed her of my latest plaything." Nii yanked at his rabbit's ears and pulled the bunny back and forth. Smiled a bit when Hwang got twitchy. "Might you know who that be?"

"Don't, don't be absurd." Hwang jammed her head to the side. She put on a convincing sneer as she stared at the other wall. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're a horrible liar." Nii tilted his head to match the rabbits in a mirror image. This woman was easier to read than a book. "If you're jealous, you should find better outlets."

"Jealous?" Hwang slammed her palm onto the desktop and her lab coat flung open with the force of it. "Who the hell would I be jealous of?"

"You see, that's the part I haven't figured out. I know that you're jealous that I and our beloved Lady are," Nii paused. "Intimate."

"This is ridiculous." Hwang crossed her arms. "I don't have to deal with this; you don't pay me enough."

"But I've yet to figure out which one of us it is you're jealous of." Dr. Nii laughed outright as Hwang fumed. This was one kettle he wanted to see explode. Steam did make things move. He needed a few gears turning and a certain train on track anyway.

"You're disgusting."

"So it is the Lady then." Nii picked his rabbit up and moved the little arms. "I did tell you she'd take you if you wanted."

Hwang snatched the creepy little rabbit and threw it across the room. Nii barely flinched and she stomped her foot. The rabbit squeaked as it smacked into the floor across the room and all sound deadened. Hwang swallowed and started speaking just to get some noise going. "Just you wait. You'll get yours one of these days, Nii."

"Until then." Dr. Nii stood from his chair and grabbed a hold of his assistant's chin. He tilted her head back enough that he could look her in the eyes. He saw fear there and was content. "Stay out of my business and stop involving me in your pillow talk."

Hwang hit the desk when the man shoved her back. She got control of her breathing after she realized it had accelerated. Hwang had forgotten the man walking away to pick up a stuffed bunny was dangerous. It had almost cost her life to make him angry. As the man brushed dirt off that white fake fur she reminded herself to never touch the rabbit.

-----

"Shit." Gojyo squatted on the ground and growled.

"I know, I'm running out of ideas to tell Sanzo."

"No, Hakkai," Gojyo picked up the lone white stick from the ground and waved it in front of his friend's face. "I dropped my last cigarette."

Hakkai frowned.

"Okay! Okay!" Gojyo waved his hands in front of him in surrender. "I'm paying attention! Jeesh, don't lose your temper so fast."

"I wouldn't if you would take this seriously, Gojyo." Hakkai pet Jeep on the head in an attempt to calm himself down. The little dragon cooed sympathetically under his touch and it worked a little. But it did nothing for the headache. "I'm really at a loss on what we're going to do about this. He's already asking me about it!"

"Can't we just tell him we're lost or something?" Gojyo flicked dirt off his Hi-Lite. There had to be someway to salvage the thing and smoke it. With Hakkai freaking out all over the place he was going to need that nicotine like he needed the air he breathed.

"That might work for a little bit, but knowing him he'd try and ask someone for directions." Hakkai stomped over to his friend and yanked the cigarette from him. "Pay attention."

Gojyo sighed and thrust his hands in his pockets. So much for the cigarette and the calming power of nicotine. "What crawled up your ass?"

"I'm going to ignore that statement for your own good, Gojyo." Hakkai crushed the cigarette and dropped it to the ground. He hadn't been getting any sleep lately and his friend was not being supportive in the least. "I've been thinking about this for the past day and a half and I've got nothing. I want to avoid a conflict as much as possible."

"Then just keep lying until we find out a way to fix this." Gojyo shrugged. "The kid's smart, but he doesn't know where we are. How would he know any better?"

"He already knows we're at least two weeks travel away." Hakkai massaged his temples and resisted the urge to pace back and forth. "So he knows that Master Sanzo is back already. He wants to go home, Gojyo."

"Well, we all want a lot of things but that doesn't mean that we're going to get it." Gojyo mumbled under his breath. "Like a cigarette."

"I heard that." Hakkai decided to not tell Gojyo there was an extra pack in his bag. The man hadn't earned one yet today. "Now please, unless you want to handle everything when it finally hits him?"

"Fine," Gojyo fingered the hair tie in his pocket and pulled it out. Taking his time, he gathered his hair into a pony tail and shook out his bangs. "I'll be the bad guy when that time comes and you don't have to worry about it."

"I don't think it'll be that easy."

"Sure it will." Gojyo snapped. "You just don't want the kid to hate you or Goku. Goku I understand, the kid'll snap if Sanzo hates him."

"Yes, that is a worry, Gojyo." Hakkai started.

"Not done yet, and you don't want him to hate you because he's your friend." Gojyo snorted. "And I forgive everything so you can just be short with me all you want."

Hakkai sighed and dropped his arms to his sides. Watched a few birds flit about in the trees behind the other man. Maybe he had been complaining to Gojyo a bit too much over the past few days. He had stressed the other man out as well and barely even noticed. "I'm sorry, Gojyo. I'm just really worried about his reaction when he finds out we have no intention of taking him home."

"What?"

"Shit." Goku cursed as Sanzo stared at Hakkai. He knew he shouldn't have let the kid win. "Kouryuu."

"Is that true?" Kouryuu could feel a little knot developing in his throat. These guys were supposed to be his friends. They weren't supposed to really be bad people. "Tell me that's not true."

Goku forced the sick feeling growing in his stomach to settle. He had to stay calm. He had to stay calm. But those violet eyes were drilling a hole straight through him, and Son Goku didn't think he could win against them. So he stayed silent and turned his head away. It didn't help. Goku could still feel those eyes groping and crawling all over him accusingly.

Goku wasn't answering him. Kouryuu's breathing was becoming more difficult as he fought against the tightness in his throat. He swung back around to Hakkai, who was frowning. Kouryuu swallowed. "I'm going home, right?"

"Time to be the bad guy." Gojyo told himself. He wouldn't let Hakkai or Goku live with that guilt. They both cared about Sanzo way too much for their own good to have to deal with the kid hating them. Gojyo would never admit that he felt the same, but in this situation he'd just have to deal with it. People don't always get what they want. "Yeah."

"Gojyo?" Kouryuu could feel the little tears pooling behind his eyes as the red-head came strutting towards him.

"What Hakkai said is right." Gojyo poised himself with a little slack in his pose, relaxed but in control. He had a part to play and it was time to be the rough and ready playboy he was so famous for. "I figure we can use you for something better than getting some dusty old piece of paper. I'm sure we can get a better payoff, just haven't figured it out yet."

"Gojyo." Hakkai reached out and took Gojyo by the sleeve as he watched Sanzo's eyes widen. He lowered his voice down a notch and leaned in close. "What are you doing?"

"Playing the bad guy, 'Kai." Gojyo brushed Hakkai's hand off his arm. Apologizing with his eyes, he turned back to Sanzo and raised his voice. "So no, you're not going home. Be a good boy and just sit tight."

"Be a good boy?" Thoughts of that creepy man with the stuffed toy started filling Kouryuu's head and he backed up a few steps. Those red eyes weren't so pretty anymore. They were piercing and reminded Kouryuu of blood more than ever. All he wanted to do was get away. "No!"

Gojyo saw the attempt to run a few steps before the kid even got a chance to move. He had a strong grip on the wrist and winced a little when Sanzo dug his nails in trying to get away. "Calm down."

"Let go!" Kouryuu was crying now. He hated himself for it, but he just couldn't stop. Things weren't supposed to be this way. Gojyo wasn't like that other man. But he was, and Kouryuu couldn't stop the tears. "You lied! I'm not going with you anymore!"

"Gojyo, you're going to hurt him." Hakkai walked over and kneeled behind Sanzo. They had to calm him down before he hurt himself struggling. Jeep fluttered about above the group but couldn't get close with Sanzo kicking and pulling. Hakkai almost envied the small dragon for having a good excuse not to get involved. "Kouryuu, we're not going to hurt you so please relax."

"Yeah, it's not so bad staying with us, is it?" Goku could barely find his voice. He was torn between helping Sanzo or Gojyo. On the one hand, he didn't want Sanzo to get hurt. But on the other, they couldn't let him leave either. Kouryuu continued to pull and cry out at Gojyo and Goku flinched. His heart was in knots and his brain hurt trying to think this whole situation through. "Is really so good running away?"

Goku's voice was the final straw in Kouryuu's book. It finally hit him what was going on and he didn't like it. "How could you? I trusted you!"

"Kouryuu?" Goku felt like he had been slapped. Those violet eyes were smoldering in a look Goku had _never_ seen directed at him before.

"You don't care about me at all!" Kouryuu shouted and shook his head. His vision was blurred from the water but he could still see the drops littering his shirt. "You lied to me! You said I'd get to see Master soon!"

"Kouryuu," Goku mumbled. "I just didn't want you to feel bad."

"Liar! You were just being selfish." Kouryuu practically snarled. "You're just lonely so you don't want me to go home! You knew they weren't going to let me go home!"

"I," Goku stumbled over his words. "No, I don't want you to leave, but…"

"But nothing!" Kouryuu shouted through the shaky breaths. His next few words were disturbingly calm. "I hate you."

Goku visibly flinched and Hakkai nearly went to comfort the elder boy instead of Sanzo. But when the child's efforts doubled he had to try and hold him still. Hakkai prayed that things would turn out alright when this was all done with.

"Let me go." Kouryuu smacked at Gojyo's arm again and made tiny noises of frustration when it did nothing. How could he be so weak and pathetic?

"Kiddo," Gojyo tightened his grip a little and stifled the pain that flinched in his own heart. How low had he sunk to threaten a kid? A friend? "Calm down because you're not going anywhere."

"Kouryuu, you'll get hurt if you leave by yourself." Hakkai tried to put his hand on the boy's shoulder but it was smacked away. "It's in your best interest to stay."

"Shut up." The adrenaline and the need to run was flowing through Kouryuu's small veins, even if he wasn't old enough to realize what this feeling was. He would keep pulling at his wrist until Gojyo let it go. "I'm not staying with you. I can't trust you at all."

"I said, calm the hell down." Gojyo gave Sanzo a swift shake to throw him a little off balance. The boy recovered quickly enough and ye yanked him closer to get into his face. "And get over yourself."

Kouryuu decked Gojyo in the cheek.

"Kiddo, that was stupid." Gojyo didn't even flinch after the tiny smack. He hardened his face best he could in order to fight the frustrated, teary face in front of him. He was going to have to be the mean one if Sanzo was going to play that game. He'd try his best to make it up to the monk later if he ever got a chance to. "If I was really the bad guy you're thinking I am, then I would have hit you back already. And I guarantee you'd be on the ground flat on your back unconscious. So calm down and shut the hell up."

"Then hit me!" Kouryuu shouted. "What else are you going to do with me?"

"I told you I haven't figured that out yet." Gojyo yanked Sanzo's arm quickly back and then forward again to trip the boy off of his feet. Once Sanzo plopped his ass on the ground, Gojyo leaned over a bit. "So sit there and be quiet. You'll know what's going to happen to you when I do."

Hakkai watched as Sanzo gripped the dirt with his fingers helplessly, the poor boy was shaking. Gojyo was truly playing the bad guy in the situation and was probably taking cues from his own childhood. When Gojyo stuck to a plan, he saw it through to the end. Hakkai knew the theory of the other man's plan: Focus all of Kouryuu's hatred onto the one person so it wouldn't fall on himself or Goku. Speaking, Hakkai looked up at the boy and his breath caught in his throat. He nearly cursed as he realized the explosion that was about to take place. "Gojyo!"

"What?" Gojyo felt the air explode from his lungs as the fist jammed up underneath his ribcage. He choked up a small amount of blood and barely managed to hold onto Sanzo's small wrist. "What the hell are you doing, monkey?"

Goku had lost himself for a little bit when Sanzo had said those cruel words. Hearing the words 'I hate you' from Sanzo had caused all of Goku's systems to just shut down. He couldn't even begin to process them properly without a full breakdown. After recovering slightly he woke up to Gojyo shaking Sanzo and throwing him down to the ground. Goku couldn't control his rage. Sanzo hated them enough already and he would not let Gojyo hurt him. "Let him go."

Gojyo used his free hand to grip around Goku's wrist that was still lodged in his gut. "He'll run away again."

"I don't care." Goku growled fiercely. His first priority was always to protect Sanzo. "You hurt him, let him go."

"Calm down you idiot monkey." Gojyo yanked Goku's fist away and threw it back to the brat. Goku stumbled a bit but straightened again and aimed those cold golden eyes straight for him. Gojyo swallowed but kept his grip on Sanzo regardless. "It's best if he stays here."

"I'll hold him, then." Goku walked straight over and took a death grip on the wrist holding Sanzo's. With his free hand he threw his arm around Sanzo's back and pulled him up on his feet. Goku pulled Sanzo and held him close to his chest. "Let go."

Gojyo reluctantly released the boy's arm and took a few slow steps back to meet Hakkai's side. He watched Goku gradually curl around Sanzo and hold him tightly to his chest. Just those few words had affected Goku that badly. Gojyo rubbed the blood off of his lip and turned away from the scene before him when Goku dropped them both to the ground and started rocking.

Kouryuu couldn't stop crying. Goku was holding him too tightly and it was hard to breathe, and they were swaying back and forth. He was getting dizzy. Goku was mumbling something over and over again, but Kouryuu didn't want to listen. Everything hurt too much.

"Please don't go away. Please, please don't go away." Goku repeated his mantra over and over again as he held Sanzo. Nothing else mattered. Sanzo couldn't hate him. Sanzo couldn't go away.

Hakkai let Jeep fly away into the woods and couldn't blame him for wanting to get away from this depressing atmosphere. He closed the gap between him and Gojyo slowly and set a gentle hand onto the friendly shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"What the hell are we going to do, Hakkai?"

"I don't know, Gojyo. I just really don't know." Hakkai dropped to the ground himself and sat on his knees. "Everything's just fallen apart."

Gojyo ached for his cigarette.


	10. Fire

I almost had to type this without a keyboard, that would have been frightening. But thankfully all technical problems have been solved and I give you the next installment! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Tell me you're all still interested.

**Chapter 9: Fire**

"He hasn't moved an inch from that corner in a day and a half, Hakkai." Gojyo mumbled and leaned up against the wall. He shrugged his shoulder up and down trying to scratch an itch as he waited. "I don't think he's going anywhere anytime soon."

Hakkai grimaced as he had been caught peering in through the door crack. Maybe checking in on the boy every half hour was a bit over protective at this point in the game. Needless to say, it was time he started paying a little attention to his roommate before he started getting too anxious. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried about him."

Gojyo chuckled a little and ran a hand through his hair. Hakkai could be so predictable sometimes, but that was one of his good qualities. "I know, so are the rest of us. But there isn't much we can do about it until we figure out how to change him back."

"It would help if we knew how this happened in the first place." Hakkai stared at Sanzo's downcast face as the boy watched the floor. Not even Jeep's presence sleeping next to Sanzo seemed to lift the boy's spirits any. It was heart wrenching. "Whatever was in that syringe was completely discharged into him. I've got nothing to work with."

"Yeah, it totally sucks." Gojyo let out a breath and shifted his eyes to a spider crawling down the wall. "How the heck do you do something like that anyway? Magic?"

"I think science might be to blame for this one, if the fact it was done with a chemical is any indication." Hakkai crossed his arms.

"Well, maybe it's a mixture of both if this mission is telling us anything."

"I just wish we had more hints to go off of and time to go looking." Hakkai shook his head out for a moment and held in a yawn. He really should have gone to bed last night instead of waiting to make sure Sanzo was asleep. "At the very least I wish we could cheer Sanzo up a bit, to at least get him up and about."

"Well, as horrible as it sounds, the kid moping around in there almost might be better for us." Gojyo sighed and broke a crick from his back. "If he's just sitting there we'll have more time to check out everything."

"Look at him, and say that again."

"I hate you sometimes." Gojyo searched his pockets for a cigarette. He had to have one somewhere. "Do you always have to be right?"

"I've been known to be wrong." Hakkai straightened his back a little and smacked Gojyo's lower pant pocket. How could it be so hard to find a cigarette? There were only so many places you could keep one. Hakkai didn't feel like listening to Gojyo whine about not being able to find one today.

"Oh," Gojyo had the decency to look a little embarrassed and chuckle in his embarrassment. What would he do without Hakkai? It was hard to imagine ever living without the guy now that he'd snuck his way in. Same went for the chimp and the tightass, not that he'd ever admit it to any of them. "Thanks, man."

Hakkai watched Gojyo light his Hi-Lite and considered the situation at hand. Sanzo was eight and depressed, Goku was sulking and feeling guilty, Gojyo was pretending to not care that Sanzo despised him and Hakkai couldn't stop worrying. Yes, things were going well in their little group. Hakkai couldn't help but wonder if there was a Brightside to all this somewhere. As Sanzo traced the cracks in the floor, the demon felt all signs pointed to 'no.' Hakkai turned back to Gojyo and asked the other question that had been bothering him. "Have you talked to Goku recently? About the other day?"

"Nah," Gojyo blew a little smoke and patted his chest. "He spit out a short apology for smacking me in the gut then went off to his room to sulk. Haven't seen him since, but it's okay. Even the bruise is gone so it's all behind us."

"I imagine he's going to take a while to recover as well." Hakkai felt like taking a nap. Maybe it would help him think straight through all of this. He put his hands on his hips and attempted to stretch a little bit. "All this mental stress can't be good for us."

"I just hope he gets over it soon. We're going to need him to keep it together when we're off investigating." Gojyo yawned a little. "Heaven knows the kid isn't going to talk to either of us anytime soon. And he was closest to Goku."

"Which is probably why he's most upset at Goku for all of this. I think, well, let's keep this conversation for a little later." Hakkai looked up to the corner of the hallway. "Goku's coming."

"How can you tell that?" Gojyo blinked and looked over his shoulder. He didn't see anything.

"I heard him open his door." Hakkai put on a friendly smile. An attempt at a believable one in any case.

"Damn you're good at that." Gojyo listened quietly and chuckled when he heard the shuffling of a pair of feet. The monkey's shadow could be seen peaking around the corner. "You have to teach me that sometime."

"I'll make a note of that."

"Is he still starin' at the floor?" Goku mumbled as he turned the corner. He didn't need to look up to know Hakkai and Gojyo were there talking. Hakkai hadn't left Sanzo alone since the other day, and Gojyo's not dumb enough to go out when everyone's in such a bad mood.

"Sorry to say, he is." Hakkai sighed and pat Goku on the head. The boy looked worse than the rest of them and should really be in bed. "Hasn't said a word either."

"That so."

Goku's tone was much too morose for Gojyo's liking. He gave a tug on the boy's cape and pulled him a bit off balance. He didn't start talking until the kid was glaring at him. "I know you just got here, but Sanzo's not going anywhere anyway, so let's go out. Get your mind off of all this mess."

"Go where?" Goku huffed and pushed Gojyo's hand off of his cape.

"How about we get something to eat?"

"Not hungry, Gojyo."

"Damn." Gojyo nearly dropped his cigarette, but caught it just in time before it hit the floor. After carefully knocking off the last bit of ashes he let out a slow whistle. "You are depressed."

"And we can't have that." Hakkai added in. "How about instead you go shopping with Gojyo and take my list with you."

Goku took the list that was handed to him and stared at it. He wasn't in the mood to go shopping or to do anything as long as Sanzo was still in that condition. Goku looked up though and saw those pleading green eyes and huffed. It was so hard to tell Hakkai 'no' to anything. It just wasn't fair. "Fine. Come on you stupid water sprite."

"And don't worry about Sanzo." Hakkai waved a bit and smiled as the pair started walking off a ways. "I'll try talking to him again."

"We'll leave things in your capable hands. Come on, Monkey." Gojyo tapped the kid on the head and leaned down next to his ear. "Just trust Hakkai for a bit, okay? Sanzo'll be fine."

"Fine." Goku forced a little smile. It wasn't Gojyo or Hakkai's fault all of this was happening. He took another look at Hakkai's list to see what he was in for and his smile became slightly more genuine. "Though, I can still be mad about the huge shopping list, right?"

Gojyo laughed as he looked at the little piece of paper unfold. "Yes, we can get back at him by adding to the list."

"Very funny." Hakkai smacked them both on the backs. When they turned he graced them with his most angelic smile. When they started shaking he continued. "Here's the credit card. I have that list memorized so I expect your best results."

"Right. You know you can trust us to get the job done right." Gojyo nodded and grabbed Goku by the arm. "Let's get going and leave the homestead to Hakkai."

"Yeah." Goku let himself be dragged along behind Gojyo but couldn't help but look back at the cracked door. He hoped Sanzo would be okay.

-----

Dokugakuji had been looking all over the palace for his Lord after he heard that Nii and that Hwang lady had another fight. Whatever it had been about this time, apparently had Nii storming out of the castle for a bit. This was a golden opportunity to sneak into the lab again, but only if he could find his Prince!

"Please! Calm down!"

Dokugakuji stopped when he heard Yaone's voice ring out through a lab door. The elder demon smacked his head when he realized he had checked everywhere but Yaone's lab. He chuckled a bit before leaning into the door. Where else would Kougaiji be but hanging out with Yaone or his little sister?

Yaone held her head while her Lord Kougaiji read over the documents on her desk. Everything had just been a mess today from Lady Koushuu demanding to see 'her precious son' and not making any progress with the Sanzo Party. She turned to the door when she heard a slight knocking. "Dokugaku, it's good you're here."

"What's bothering you this time, Kou?" Dokugakuji dared to ask as he watched his friend throw one of Yaone's beakers across the room. He grimaced a bit when it was followed by his Prince slamming his fist on the table.

"We can't figure out how Nii did that thing to Sanzo." Yaone sighed as she watched the glass sprinkle across the floor. "Lord Kougaiji had just been looking at my notes and progress. I've tried everything I know, and I can't even get close to replicating his work."

"Even with the samples we snuck out of his lab the other day?" Dokugakuji grimaced as Kougaiji realized the mess he had made. The Prince's anger slowly faded to shame as he knelt down on the ground. Dokugakuji was getting a little worried the red haired man hadn't said anything yet.

"Even with that, nothing." Yaone watched as her Lord picked up the pieces of glass. He shouldn't have to stoop to such things, even if he did make the mess. "I'll get it later, Lord Kougaiji. Please don't trouble yourself any further."

"I'm sorry, Yaone." Kougaiji tried to smile but couldn't seem to find one. As a Prince, he was behaving childishly and he broke a friend's belongings. This behavior was intolerable and he was lucky to have such understanding companions by his side. He didn't deserve their affection, but he wouldn't trade it for anything. "I didn't mean to make a mess of your lab. I'll clean it, it's my fault."

"It's alright, you're frustrated." Yaone leaned over to place a hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure out something."

"Yeah Kou, don't give yourself such a hard time." Dokugakuji walked over and picked his Lord up by the arm. Pulled him on his feet with a good tug. "The man's a total bastard and he's psycho. Nobody should have to be expected to pick his brain apart."

"Still, we should have some idea what he's up to!" The prince tightened his fists. "But we don't have a single clue. Not a one!"

"I'm sure, whatever it is we'll know when he makes his move." Yaone tried a soft smile in order to comfort her Lord and friend. "We'll just have to stop him when that happens."

"For all of our sakes, I hope you're right Yaone." Kougaiji leaned his head back to look at the ceiling. "Something just doesn't feel right about all of this. Something very bad is about to happen."

"Well, in the meantime just rest in the fact he's not in the castle right now."

"How can that bring peace of mind? It means he's making his move and we can't do anything to stop him because we don't know where he is right now." Kougaiji sighed.

"Yeah, but it means his lab is empty."

"What about Ms. Hwang?" Yaone moved a couple test tubes over to make room for Lord Kougaiji to sit down. She really needed to tidy up her lab a bit. "She's always hanging around there, and so is Old Man Wang."

"Wang's not a problem because I don't think he cares. He doesn't trust Nii as anything more than a chess partner." Dokugakuji grinned. "As for Hwang, I hear the latest fight involved our _dear_ Lady."

Yaone smiled a little. "Which means she locked herself in her room again."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's find out what that damn bastard is up to." Kougaiji walked to the door with his determination replenished. He would find out what was going on and he would put a stop to it. No one touched his prey, but him.

-----

Hakkai took a deep breath and steadied himself after the other two were long gone. He had about an hour or two before they'd be back from the shopping to try and patch things up with Sanzo. This was always such a nerve-wracking thing to try and attempt, one would think it would be easier because he was eight. He ran a hand through his hair before opening the door and looking down at the boy. He didn't stir a muscle at his entrance and Hakkai reserved himself for a one-sided conversation. "Hello, Kouryuu."

Kouryuu heard the other man enter, but he didn't move. There wasn't a point and he merely kept staring at the floor. Through the corner of his eyes he watched Jeep breathing. It was steady and comforting, despite the circumstances. Kouryuu just wanted Master Sanzo, was that so wrong? But Jeep made an okay substitute for the time being.

"I know, it's been rough for you the past few days." Hakkai took a few steps and greeted the little dragon that had begun cooing at him. He knelt down to pick his tiny friend up before sitting quietly next to Sanzo. Petting Jeep softly he continued. "I am sorry for that."

Kouryuu hunched his shoulders up and shoved his face in his arms. He didn't want to hear this. It was all a bunch of lies anyway. The others were just trying to butter him up so he'd do what they wanted. He wasn't born yesterday and he wasn't going to fall for it.

"Kouryuu, could you at least come with me and eat something? I don't think anyone wants to see you starve to death." Hakkai fought his urges to make eye contact. He didn't want to guilt Sanzo too badly. But it was so hard to tell if the boy was listening or not. "Or, I could bring you something and you could eat that?"

Why couldn't this guy take a hint? Kouryuu peaked out from his arms to glare at the other man. He just wanted Hakkai to go away and let him sit. Though, he was a little hungry. That didn't mean he'd let the other man have his way.

After still getting no response, Hakkai could feel a little of his patience leaving him. The idea of force feeding the boy popped into his head, but he squished it. That only worked when Sanzo was an adult and had his gun stripped from him. Tough love wasn't going to help him right now, no matter how much he wanted to put it into practice. "Kouryuu, nothing gets accomplished if you won't talk it out. Gojyo and Goku aren't here, you can talk to me."

Hakkai wasn't going away, so he'd get away from him. Kouryuu huffed and stood up while trying to ignore the wobble in his legs. Not moving for a day may not have been the brightest of ideas. Walking over to the window he did his best to ignore the other man watching him. At least it was a nice day outside, and he could feel his legs getting back to normal.

"If you don't want to talk, that's all right, too." Hakkai kept his place on the floor and continued his attentions on Jeep. "But it is nice to see you moving a little, though, your muscles must be stiff."

Talk, talk, talk. Kouryuu leaned his chin in his hand as he watched the people walk by the window. They were rooming on the first floor for a change so he could see everyone's faces and clothes. Hakkai was still talking in the background, but the blonde was more interested in all the different people outside. Some had on bright clothes, others had duller clothes and there was even one guy in pure white.

Pure white robes that went all the way down to the ground and were tied with a black belt. That were also accompanied by a gold crown and veil. Kouryuu nearly shouted for joy at the sight.

"And that's why, I think that you should just, Kouryuu?" Hakkai looked up as he heard the lock on the window click. He jumped to his feet as he watched the small figure fit his way through the open window. "Kouryuu!"

There was no doubt in Kouryuu's mind as his feet hit the ground. That was Master Sanzo's robe, no mistake! The boy looked to the left and caught the end of the white garment turn a corner and instinctively followed. If he could catch up then everything would be okay. It would just have to be. "Master! Please wait!"

Hakkai was cursing everything he could think of as he leant out the window. He could see just enough to watch Sanzo turn a corner quickly. Hakkai pushed himself out of the window and back into the room. Jeep was hovering just over his shoulder and Hakkai pushed the small dragon out of the window. "Follow him, I think he went that way! I'll be out in a second."

Hakkai made sure Jeep was around the corner before turning to the door. Curse the window for being much too small and curse Sanzo for being able to move so quickly. He just hoped the little dragon could catch up and keep an eye on him. "I don't know what you saw, but whatever it was can't be good."

Kouryuu could have sworn he saw Master go this way. He looked left and right before slowing his run down a little. The boy didn't notice as people brushed by him or when they stopped to look. Kouryuu took a few steps to the side to get a better look at the various men and women walking by in the marketplace. Master had to be here somewhere in this swarm of people, he'd just have to look harder for him. Kouryuu heard a small cooing noise behind him and cursed to himself. If Jeep found him he was done for! The boy ducked behind a small stand and watched the dragon fly by, it wasn't until he was sure Jeep was around the corner that he stood up. Taking a deep breath he started running again. Maybe Master had gone around this way instead.

"Are we done yet, Gojyo?" Goku groaned as he carried bags. "You know Hakkai just made a long list so he could talk to Sanzo without us."

"Yeah, but we still have to get the cigarettes. That bastard put them last on the list." Gojyo growled as he led the way. They'd been at this for an hour already and there were way too many people out. Gojyo would have kept walking toward the convenience store if he hadn't spotted a familiar lock of blonde hair dashing around a corner. "Isn't that Sanzo?"

Goku looked up to where Gojyo was tilting his head and spotted also spotted the familiar face. "Yeah! Kouryuu!"

Kouryuu flinched when he heard his name yelled over the crowd. As he turned, Goku came running up to greet him. This was no good and he needed to think of something quickly. But what could he do?

"You're out of the house?" Goku grinned as he caught his breath. "But where's Hakkai?"

"He," Kouryuu looked off to the side and noticed a small stand. Maybe if he could get there, he could duck under it and get away. "He's looking for you?"

"Is everything alright? You don't sound so good." Goku watched as Kouryuu fidgeted in place. It was almost like he was a cat that had been cornered. He followed the boy's eyes and made sure to stand in the way of the exit. He wasn't losing Sanzo again. "Did you run away again?"

Kouryuu was saved from answering as Jeep came flying around the corner chirping. As Goku's attention was drawn away, Kouryuu made a dash under his arm. He'd just have to go in the other direction and get around the older boy. He made it just around the corner only to bump into Gojyo and hit the ground. He rubbed his lower back with his arm as he looked up at the red-head.

"You just don't learn, do you? Such a stubborn little brat." Gojyo drawled as he watched the monk before him. Tension was still tight between the lot of them, so he might as well keeping being Mr. Bad Guy. It's not like Sanzo liked him anyway, kid or adult. "Might as well help us carry stuff though while you're here. I'm sure Hakkai's looking for us and I'm hungry."

Kouryuu wasn't sure what he should do. Goku and Jeep were behind him, and Gojyo was blocking his front. The way things were looking, Hakkai would be here soon too and then he'd never find Master Sanzo. His left was blocked by a shopping stand, but his right was free. Maybe if he could distract the other man he'd have a shot at getting away.

It was at that moment, the boy caught another sight of those familiar white robes come from a corner and cross the street behind Gojyo. Kouryuu swallowed as the figure kept walking and the boy could feel his luck leaving him. This was his only chance to catch up. He may never find him again and Kouryuu couldn't risk that chance.

"Shit!" Gojyo yelped as Kouryuu ducked between his legs and ran full force down the street and duck into an alley. Gojyo made an attempt to follow but was blocked by a rather large woman carrying a bag full of apples. After falling to the ground all he could manage to do was shout at the monkey. "Goku! Get him!"

"Right." Goku dropped his packages and jumped over Gojyo's head. Leave it to the water sprite to let Sanzo get away again! "You get Hakkai!"

"Sure, leave me with the dirty work." Gojyo grumbled and grabbed Goku's things as well as his own. He stood up and glared at the woman who had kept walking even after knocking him off of his feet. That woman didn't know who she was dealing with! He kept cursing life until a certain monocle-wearing man smacked into him and knocking him to the ground for a second time. "Hakkai?"

"Sorry, Gojyo." Hakkai chuckled a bit as he picked the two of them up. He was slightly out of breath, but glad to have found his companion. "I was so busy trying to keep up with Jeep I didn't see you."

"It's okay." Gojyo brushed himself off and grinned at his friend. Gojyo wasn't worried about losing Sanzo this time. There was no way Goku had missed him, not in a million years. "Let me guess, kid ran away again?"

"How did you know?" Hakkai scratched the back of his head a little bit.

"He just knocked into me, and the monkey just chased him around a corner."

"Shall we follow then?"

"We shall." Gojyo cracked his neck and shoulders. "Though they did get a good head start."

"That's never stopped us before."

"Didn't say it would."

Kouryuu was starting to worry when the street became darker. It wasn't like Master Sanzo to be in places like this, but he was sure he saw Master come down this way. It's not like many people went around in those long draping robes. Kouryuu slowed to a stop when he reached the end of the alley and found himself in a large lot. It looked like there had been a building here at one point, but it had long since collapsed. There were pieces of wall still in place, and debris of various coloring littering the surroundings, but he couldn't seem to see Master anywhere.

"Kouryuu." Goku jogged up behind the small boy after he stopped. Goku was a bit awed at first at the amount of destruction that had taken place here and bet that it probably had something to do with demons. But this was no time to be enjoying the sights, so Goku redirected his attentions at his target. Sanzo looked like he was looking for something more than trying to run away. It almost made him more curious than worried. "What are you doing?"

"Where is he?" Kouryuu ignored Goku. If he was going to grab him he would have done it already, so Goku wasn't important. There was only one thing that was important right now and Kouryuu couldn't see him anywhere. He had to be somewhere among all of this junk, probably smoking his pipe.

"Where's who?" Goku watched as Sanzo walked a few steps, then stopped. The blonde mop of hair flicked about as he looked around before walking a few steps to the left. He repeated this process for a few moments before Goku became frustrated on his own. "Who are you looking for?"

Kouryuu was about to tell Goku off when he saw it. There, sitting behind a pillar was a familiar headpiece blowing in the wind. Sitting gently in the air next to it was a stream of familiar looking smoke. Kouryuu was so happy he could cry as he sprinted over to the sitting figure. He was going to go home with Master Sanzo and he could just forget that any of this had happened. It wouldn't have to hurt so much anymore.

This was bad. There was something evil in the air and Goku didn't like it one bit. As he watched where Sanzo was running, he finally noticed the other man dressed in Sanzo's robes. It was a strange sight really and it almost didn't register that Sanzo was rushing towards this stranger. Something finally clicked in Goku's head and he did the most natural thing possible: he panicked. "Kouryuu! Don't go near him!"

Goku was screaming at him a few feet behind him, but Kouryuu genuinely couldn't hear the other boy. His attentions were focused and as he reached the older man he couldn't help but grin. He took hold of the long flowing sleeve and smiled feeling the familiar fabric under his fingertips. He gave it a soft tug while barely containing a very happy shout of "Master Sanzo!"

"Hello, Kouryuu."


	11. Sanzo

Because I love Nii: The half-way point of Raising Kouryuu.

-Fixed a couple of typos. I should learn not to post stuff around two in the morning.

-----

"Well, go ahead and lie to me

You could say anything

Small talk will be just fine

Your voice is everything."

-Hear Me Out by Frou Frou

**Chapter 10: Sanzo**

"Kouryuu! Get away from him!" Sanzo wasn't moving and something fundamental was keeping Goku from grabbing him away. Just, something about the guy in the robes was giving off some wary vibes. The man sitting there reminded him of a snake, and he didn't want Sanzo to get bitten because he was too stupid to stand still. Goku kept his eyes locked on Sanzo and lowered his voice just a bit. "It's not safe, come back to me."

Kouryuu stared at those eyes behind their shield of glass and froze. His brain was screaming at him to let go of the sleeve and run, but he couldn't budge. Why was this man dressed as Master Sanzo? How did he get a scripture? Why couldn't Kouryuu run away and get behind Goku? Kouryuu tried to pull spit into his mouth when it went dry but his body just didn't want to agree with him.

Nii chuckled quietly as he watched the whites of little Kouryuu's eyes expand and his breathing pick up. It was good to be remembered, to know one had left an impact on young impressionable minds. Nii took a hand and ran it down the boy's cheek, smiled just a little wider when he tried to shrink away from the touch. "I knew you'd come back to see me."

"D' Don't." Kouryuu was stuttering, but he still couldn't seem to pull away. There was just something magnetic holding him in place. Or it could just be the fear.

"Now why would I do that?" Nii was content that Kouryuu was frozen in place, but he made sure to move a free hand to grab the boy's arm just in case. Kouryuu wouldn't be running and the mama's boy wouldn't be ruining things today. "I have such fun things planned for us."

Goku watched the man's hand stroke down Sanzo's cheek and continue to his arm. The free hand had a grip on the boy's arm on the other side, but it was the moving hand that made Goku's blood rise. He was petting Sanzo. Goku growled. "Let him go. Now."

Nii rose a brow at the other nuisance that had made himself known. A jealous boy who's mind was clouded by that rage was glaring at him. The lad's pose was tense and coiled, begging to lash out. He nearly laughed out loud. Powerful demon or not, the boy wasn't a threat. He wasn't smart enough to be a threat. "This doesn't concern you any longer. Little Kouryuu will be joining me today so say your goodbyes and run along now."

"You bastard." Goku was about to take a run at the conceited jerk in front of him, but stopped himself a few feet away when he yanked Sanzo's arm behind his back. The move had spun Sanzo around to face him and the boy's face caused a sliver of fear to sever Goku's rage. The vicious pull had near ripped the arm out of the socket and the blonde's mouth was hanging open in a silent scream. "Sanzo!"

Nii laughed out loud this time as he stood to his feet. He relaxed his grip slightly to Kouryuu's arm, it wouldn't do to break it. Yet. "You slipped."

Goku covered his mouth as he realized his mistake at saying Sanzo's name. But he couldn't help it, Sanzo was hurt. He shook his head out a little and kept his voice steady in an attempt to stay focused at the task at hand. "Let him go."

"Can't you think of anything else to say? But I see you're going to be persistent, aren't you?" Nii cocked his head to the side and sighed. "Why don't you just back off a bit, hmm?"

"Like hell."

With his free hand he yanked Kouryuu's head up by the hair to display that pretty face. He faked a pitiful frown when Goku sucked in a hiss of a breath. "He doesn't belong to you anymore. So scurry along, though, I doubt that you'll listen to reason."

"He doesn't belong to you so get your filthy hands off of him!" Goku tried not to shout. Sanzo was scared and whimpering. Shouting would only aggravate the situation further. But it was so hard not to lose it on this man in front of him. Goku pulled a hand behind his back to get ready to summon his Nyoi-boh. Smashing this bastard's face in was looking better and better an option.

"Take a few steps back or it'll be worse." Nii tightened the grip on the arm. "I'm not sure how much pressure this arm can take."

Goku cursed, but took a few steady steps back. He couldn't risk anything right now, not when that villain still had Sanzo. "Let him go."

"Keep going." Nii waited until Goku was a good ten to twelve feet away before smiling. That was enough of a distance to make sure things stayed in his corner. "That's a good boy."

Goku stopped moving and huffed. He should have just risked grabbing Sanzo when he was close. Now he'd have to think of something else. "You're going to pay for this. I swear it."

"Oh, more company." Nii drawled out as the boy's other companions ran up behind Goku trailing after their pet dragon. They had the most adorable looks of shock on their faces. The demon-killer and the taboo-brat probably didn't have a clue and were sure to cause a fuss. At least now he could deal with them all at once. Nii hated to repeat himself. "But the answer's the same no matter how many times the three of you ask."

Gojyo had to take a double look at the greasy man holding Sanzo. Goku looked like he was about to kill the man and he didn't blame him. He'd only just met him and already Gojyo was feeling a chill. There just was something wrong with a guy who'd restrain a little kid by the hair. Gojyo set the groceries down on the ground slowly before taking a relaxed fighting pose. He had a feeling the opening for when they could grab the kid would be a tiny one. "Who's the freak in the Sanzo get up?"

"I don't know." Goku tried to hold in the frustration but couldn't seem to do it. But he was grateful the other two had shown up. Gojyo could help distract and if anyone could think of a way to get Sanzo without him getting hurt, it was Hakkai. Goku made a mental note of where the two were in comparison with Sanzo. Goku was still the closest, but he could still see Jeep hovering above them. "If we get closer he'll hurt Sanzo."

"Oh go ahead and be specific. It's clear I'll break his arm off if you try anything." Nii flashed his most charming grin and widened it when he caught Hakkai twitch. This was too easy. "But then again, breaking his neck is a fun option as well. Children are so very frail, after all."

"I don't know who you are, or where you came from." Hakkai clenched his fists and took a few confidant steps foreword. Sanzo was having a hard time breathing with his head pulled back so far. Hakkai was angry. "Or even what you want, but if you don't release that boy this instant…"

"A hanging threat, very classic." Nii ruffled Kouryuu's hair and allowed the boy movement of his head again. The boy rewarded him with a glare, though it was somewhat ruined by the coughing from the sudden intake of breath. The good doctor turned his attention back to the traitor of a demon. "But not very effective."

Kouryuu wanted to struggle, but he wasn't sure what to do. The others were right there and staying still so he guess moving wasn't very smart. Gojyo looked the calmest out of the group, he was thinking of something to do. Kouryuu was a little scared of Hakkai at the moment. The look on the man's face was more frightening than the man who had his arm right now. Jeep was still hovering overhead, and the other, he just didn't look so good. "Goku."

The heartstrings were being yanked full force and Goku almost couldn't take it. But he'd hold his ground and wait for the others to make a move together. It was the only chance they had for keeping Sanzo safe. "Kouryuu, it's going to be okay. I promise. This is your last warning, you freak. Let him go."

"Oh, and you were doing so well keeping quiet for a bit." Nii sighed and pushed his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. "But you had to go back to the same old tricks. I guess a monkey is a monkey."

"Shut up!" Goku yelled. "It doesn't matter how I say it! You're going down!"

"Clam down." Hakkai put a hand on Goku's shoulder. He then turned to the fake priest in front of him. "However, I agree. Release the boy now and maybe we won't prolong your death as long."

"Nah, I think giving the bastard a choice is too nice." Gojyo took a strategic step to the side and put Sanzo directly in his line of sight. Just maybe, if he was quick enough he could make a run for the boy.

"The three of you really aren't being fair in this. I'm only taking what's mine to begin with." The raven-haired man stuck his hand in his pocket and gripped his 'insurance policy' to make sure it was still there. Nii checked the edge of the plunger to make sure it was ready. Satisfied, he removed his hand from his pocket to stroke Kouryuu's hair. It was soft and pliable, not like the other boy's. Kouryuu was much better.

"What the hell do you mean by that you freak?" Gojyo steadied his hand from pulling out a cigarette. It would have showed Sanzo that his attentions were somewhere else. There was just something so sickening in the air right now, and Gojyo wanted a light.

"Yes, do clarify for us." Hakkai narrowed his eyes and searched for anything in the other man's face to reveal a weakness. Those eyes were like a concrete wall and Hakkai's heart almost stopped when the thought of ripping his limiters off crossed his mind. This was a dangerous situation. Hakkai kept himself in check for the others' sake. If he lost it now, there was no way the other two could control themselves either.

Nii pulled Kouryuu up straight in front of him and gripped his shoulders to hold him in place. He leaned over to stick their cheeks together and grinned as the boy shivered. Such perverse pleasures were such fun. Nii rubbed his cheek along Kouryuu's as he continued. "He broke my toy. It's only fair that he replace it."

"Toy?" Goku was caught off guard on that one, almost enough to ignore the other man's perverse groping. "We've never met you! How could he have broken your toy?"

"You've met my little toy before, even if it was a while ago. If I remember correctly he was quite fond of the red-head, and dear little Sanzo here shot him three times while using the demon as a shield." He tightened his grip on Kouryuu's shoulders when the boy flinched at the name Sanzo. Nii raised his voice along with his head. "Oh, and you dropped a castle on him. Such a horrible way to die for such a cute little boy. Have you guessed yet?"

"You sick son of a bitch." Gojyo was trembling. He had almost put all of that Kami shit behind him. But just knowing that this was the 'Master' that kid was so damn found of, and died for, just tossed him over the edge. "Bastard. You damned bastard."

"Kami-sama." Hakkai muttered in awe and drew a hand to grip his chest. The memories were flooding back into his mind of crazed laughter and blood. "You, you're the Sanzo priest he called 'Master.'"

Kouryuu looked back from the other three to the man's head beside his own. What were they talking about and why did everyone look so upset? Kouryuu looked to Goku and saw the boy start to tear up a bit in the corners of his eyes. Goku's fists were shaking and Kouryuu found himself taking a step back. He felt the frosty sensation stream down his back when he accidentally bumped the man holding him. The man was cold and hard, Kouryuu berated himself for the contact.

"So you do remember." Nii stood up slightly and wrapped his arms around Kouryuu's shoulders, crossed his wrists in front of the boy. Not that the boy would have moved anyway, it was clear now he was interested. He made sure to have their bodies flush together and nearly giggled when the Goku boy snarled. "I almost thought you might have forgotten."

"How could we have possibly forgotten that?" Goku beat Gojyo and Hakkai to the punch. "You manipulated that boy and turned him into a monster. If you think you're going to do that to Sanzo than you're wrong!"

"Sanzo?" Kouryuu's voice was soft as he looked between Goku and the others. The warm weight of the older man's arms held him in place. It was constricting and the man's grip kept getting tighter. "Why do you keep calling me, Sanzo?"

"Because they like lying to you." Nii rested his head on top of Kouryuu's and chuckled. "While I think Kouryuu is much cuter, your real name is Sanzo."

"That can't be right." Kouryuu felt the man release him finally, but he was too shocked to move. He was free from the grip, but his breathing still felt tight. "What's he talking about?"

"We'll explain everything later. Everything, the truth." Hakkai held out his hands towards Sanzo. "Just come to us now while you've got the chance!"

"Really?" Kouryuu nearly took a step. "No more lies?"

"Really, kiddo. No more lyin.' " Gojyo kept his eyes on the priest. It was too convenient of him to have let Sanzo go that easy. He watched the man put his hands in his pockets and just had a hunch he was ready for them to come charging. So, they needed the kid to come to them. "So get your butt over here."

Nii slowly pulled his needle out of his pocket and placed his finger on the plunger. It was time to start wrapping things up. "Now, it's time for the two of us to be going. Come Kouryuu."

"I'm not going with you." The panic was finally starting to set in and Kouryuu suddenly found the momentum to make his legs move. His brief burst of energy was cut short however when the man hauled him back by the arm and against his chest.

"Last chance to let the kid go." Gojyo shouted and summoned his weapon at the ready. Games were over and there was either going to be a fight or a massacre. Goku was already a step ahead of him with the Nyoi-boh. Sanzo was already actively trying to pull away from the other man. Panic had finally set in and Gojyo prayed the kid wouldn't do anything stupid. "Don't worry kiddo, you're not going anywhere."

"I had figured it would come down to this." Nii watched the three pose for a fight. He rolled his shoulders a bit until they cracked. He raised his hand from behind his back and dropped his grip on Kouryuu's arm so he could reach to pull the child's head back. "You'll have to forgive me if my fighting is a little rusty."

"Hey, Kouryuu watch out!" Hakkai yelled as the other man struck. He cursed himself when yet again he didn't have time to stop a blow. Hakkai vowed the other man would receive a blow for every one Hakkai had failed to block.

Kouryuu felt the needle impale his throat and he sucked in a tight breath. He could feel a small trickle of blood run down his throat and the man's hand following the trail. He could see Goku shouting and the other two running but it was blurry. Then, he just watched as everything faded into oblivion.

Nii released the boy after slowly pulling the needle out. It was always good to plan ahead just in case certain children didn't want to cooperate. He pat Kouryuu on the head as he stood quietly and stared blankly. The boy was sure to behave now. "Much better, you be a good boy and sit tight while I deal with your little friends."

Sanzo wasn't moving. He was just staring out into space and standing there. Even his eyes had dulled and Goku was scared. He shouted to the boy, but didn't get a response. Not even a flicker of movement or a blink. "What did you do to him?"

"Just a little drug so he'll stay put while I deal with you." The doctor made a quick dash and used an old mantra to slice at the alleged Great Sage before he could even adjust to his little trick. The move made him feel a little nostalgic.

Goku was pushed out of the way just in time before the other man's strike could hit. The man had moved so damn quickly! Regretfully, Gojyo was unable to block it from hitting himself and he shouted out as the blood gushed from his chest. "Stupid monkey, pay attention."

"Gojyo!" Nyoi-boh was out and at the ready as Goku charged. He would have tended to his friend, but this was the only opening he had. The man dodged easily and the cudgel smashed into the ground. "Get back here."

Nii grinned as the boy thrashed around. He hadn't been able to have this sort of fun in quite some time. It was a shame the boy was a tad unskilled, a challenge would have been more fun. He ducked left and felt a wave on energy coming up from the behind. He hit the ground and let the chi ball fly over his head and smack into a tree. Staring at the splintered rubble, Nii laughed and turned to the brunette. "My, my, I had forgotten about you. My apologies."

Hakkai let out a silent curse when the man used the same trick that had gotten Gojyo earlier. He barely got out of the way and hissed when it grazed his arm. He threw another chi ball but the man dodged it easily. "Who are you?"

Nii paused a bit to grin at the others' frustrations. It was so darling, even the little dragon was trying to get in on the action. He smacked Jeep out of the way as the dragon made a dive and smiled at the little body as it hit the ground. Head tilted, his eyes trailed up to match angry green eyes. "I'm Sanzo. Ukoku Sanzo."

"There's no way that you're a Sanzo!" Goku charged again and refused to let his hits lighten. He could still see Kouryuu standing quietly in the background and could feel his anger rising. "Now fix him!"

"And why do you say that?" Nii took the game in sport and checked his watch during a dodge as the chained-blade passed by his neck. It was just about time to get going. "If I remember correctly, your own Sanzo smokes, drinks, gambles and kills. Not to mention keeps the lowest forms of company. How am I any worse?"

"At least ours doesn't molest little kids you sick pervert." Gojyo dragged out as he retracted his chain. How the hell could this guy be so damn good?

"I'd deny that claim, but that would be too big of a lie even for me." Nii laughed and jumped back behind Kouryuu. He put his arms around the boy again and pulled him back into the nook of his chest. "I'd love to stay and enjoy the three of you for a longer period of time, but for now it's getting late and we really do need to be off."

"Don't you touch him!" Goku rushed him blindly. He had to get to Sanzo! Goku had to break every bone in the man's body for hurting Sanzo. All he could see was blood. "Give him back now!"

"Shit this is gonna' be bad." Gojyo leaned on his staff and tried to control the bleeding as he watched the other man start to chant. The stupid monkey was too angry to notice. Gojyo doubled over as the pain finally caught up with him from the fight. Stupid injuries.

Hakkai watched on and this time he was ready. Whatever mantra that man was preparing for, he'd have a shield ready for it. "Goku! Gojyo! Jeep! Get ready to take cover."

Nii leaned his head back and just smiled to himself. It was child's play. "Let me show you an _empty heaven_."

The three demons didn't know what had hit them when that blinding white aura engulfed everything. All they knew, was that every limb throbbed when they found the strength to move again. Eyes opened slowly and pushed against the rock beneath them. What they were greeted with, was an empty lot void of everything. There wasn't even a pebble left to roll in the wind.

"He's gone." Goku breathed out. His voice shook and his heart felt like it was going to explode. Goku screamed for all he was worth. Then nature cried with him as the few drops of rain started their pour from the sky. "He took Sanzo."

"God damn it!" Gojyo punched the ground. He didn't even care that his knuckles were bleeding. He hit the ground again for good measure and watched the rain wash his cursed blood across the smooth ground. "Just, damn it."

Hakkai tried to bring his breath back, but he was having a difficult time of it. Defending against that attack had taken nearly all of his energy. It had barely held. Jeep rubbed his head against the back of Hakkai's hand, but he couldn't find the energy to comfort the little dragon. "Are you two alright?"

"Still breathing." Gojyo sighed and plopped himself upright on the ground. He wanted a smoke and a stiff drink.

"What does it matter?"

"Goku?" Hakkai looked up to the boy's shuttering form through the rain. He prayed to the high heavens he didn't snap. That was the last damn thing they needed right now.

"We couldn't save Sanzo." Goku dug his fingers into the ground, pulled up the concrete. "And we were beaten so easily."

"It'll be alright, Goku." Hakkai stood slowly. "We'll get him back."

The soft comforting sound of Hakkai's voice wasn't what he wanted to hear. Goku was about to turn and berate the man when he caught the look on the man's face and quickly shut up. Hakkai's eyes were glazed and dangerous. The cruel snarl on his face contradicted the motherly tone that had spilled from his mouth. A reply wasn't necessary. Hakkai meant what he said, and Goku would do whatever it took to make sure it happened.

Ukoku Sanzo would pay.


	12. Storms

Fair warning: I love the Nii x Hwang pairing. Don't be surprised if that influences future events. But until then, thank-you for reading and reviewing! Enjoy the next addition of Raising Kouryuu:

**Chapter 11: Storms**

"Have you found anything yet, Yaone?" Kougaiji asked as he lifted a few documents. A small flurry of dust floated in the air and the prince took a guess that no one had touched these files in a few weeks. There was writing on near all of the papers he could see, but he couldn't make heads or tails of what he was looking at. He looked up quickly to see Dokugakuji was even more confused than he was. At least he wasn't the only one lost. It hadn't seemed this difficult the last time they'd gathered information. Kougaiji tried not to let that thought bother him.

"Nothing useful." Yaone sighed in response to her lord. She dealt with non-organics, not this biology based research. Poisons, gunpowder, explosives; she could handle. The DNA structure of a cell and it's molecular components; not so much. She hated knowing her lord was counting on her when there wasn't much she could do. "I'm sorry, I just don't know what any of this means."

"Not many people do, little lady."

"Wang!" Dokugakuji looked up and cursed himself for not noticing the older demon. This could be bad. "Why are you here?"

"This is part of my lab if I remembered correctly. It's you all that are trespassing." The elder demon chuckled at the startled faces of the youngsters. He leaned on the end of a table and tried to pretend his bones didn't ache. To be young again, indeed. Maybe Dr. Nii had something going for him after all. "Don't give me that look, I won't tell your dear step-mommy. But I would suggest you leave, I'm pretty sure Nii'll be back any minute. He gets cranky when people mess with his things."

"What's he up to?" Kougaiji was never one to beat around the bush. If he was discovered, so be it. He'd just have to take advantage of someone who knew what was going on. Kougaiji tapped his claws impatiently on a table. "What's he planning?"

"Nothing you don't already know." Wang chuckled and played with the cord coming from his head. "Nii turned the Sanzo priest into a child. Why? From what I can tell he wanted to be nostalgic, but who knows how his head works. I just crunch the numbers that he gives me."

"To be nostalgic?" Dokugakuji repeated and stared blankly at the old man. Maybe he was going senile or something. "What on earth does that mean?"

"Like I would know." Wang tapped a monitor and smiled when it came on. He pointed to the tiny figure. "Nii'll be here in about twenty minutes. You might want to make yourselves scarce if you know what's good for you. He may be human, but he's frightening."

"Why are you being so nice to us?" Yaone couldn't help but ask. It was just something unexpected. She slipped a few papers into her portfolio while he pondered his answer. Something was better than nothing after all.

"Because I don't like chaos in my lab. Nii just got a hold of a new test subject and if anything dampens his mood, all of us will feel it." Wang clicked the monitor off again. Seeing the unconscious boy in that monsters arms was making him feel a bit sick to the stomach. Even he had limits and lines he refused to cross. Age did that to a person, and he hoped these youngsters would catch on quick. Not that he really cared about the outcome in the end. Age did that to a person, too. "And he'll take it out on Hwang and then she'll be bitchy all day."

"And no one wants that." Dokugakuji chuckled. At least the old guy had a sense of humor about him.

"Exactly." Wang pointed to the door. "Now scram while I feel like being nice."

"You'll be hearing from us again." Kougaiji growled as he strut towards the door. "Nii will be stopped."

"I'll be the first to congratulate you." Wang waved. "Now git."

Kougaiji paused as something registered in his brain. The prince scowled for not picking up on it sooner. He slunk a glance at Wang and asked as seriously as possible: "Did you say a new test subject? That he's bringing here?"

"You deaf already, boy?" The old demon adjusted his goggles. "He picked up the kid, what else could it be?"

"Shit." Kougaiji growled and slammed a fist into the wall and started walking again. "We'll see about that."

"Kou!" Dokugakuji dropped his papers in a flutter to trail after his prince. There was something in his eyes that spelled out trouble for the rest of the evening. He sped up when he realized Kougaiji wasn't stopping and had already turned a corner. "Wait up!"

Yaone followed after Dokugaku trying to keep her portfolio as close to her as possible. She knew that the old man noticed, but was thankful he didn't say anything. In a small moment of pause, she turned back to the old demon with a little bow. "Thank-you."

Wang laughed and pulled out the chess pieces to set on the board in the center of the beeping lab. "I don't want thanks, I just want quiet."

"Right." Yaone smiled and tagged after Kougaiji hoping something on her papers could be of use.

The old demon took a seat and placed the pieces slowly on the board. He rather doubted Dr. Nii would be in the mood to play, but you never knew with that man. Wang chuckled to himself with every piece on the board. Things were going to get exciting.

-----

"Shit, Hakkai." Gojyo collapsed into the chair in the corner of the hotel chair. He took a slow drag on his Hi-lite as he sunk into the cushion and tried to disappear. Hakkai's face was taut and pale, but his eyes were still bright as they focused. Gojyo wondered how long it would take for the eyes to follow the rest of his body. "It's been a week and we've got nothing. We're exhausted and empty handed. And I'm just plain sick of everything right now."

"We can't give up." Hakkai set his bag down next to the bed and turned away from Gojyo to watch the rain pound into the window. The weather always seemed to have such perfect timing. Hakkai forced himself to stay focused on the task at hand and started unpacking a few supplies for the night. "We have to keep looking."

"I never said that we should give up." Gojyo watched the smoke linger on the ceiling and wave around the overhead light. He added another puff to the mass before continuing. "I just can't understand how nobody knows anything about that bastard. Not even the demons that keep attacking us know who he is."

"There is a chance that he's not related to the Gyumaoh incident." Hakkai sighed and let his thoughts drift to Goku in the room next door. He would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about that little powder keg, too. They were lucky it hadn't been ignited just yet. Hakkai was thankful Goku knew a break-down wouldn't find Sanzo any faster. "However slight."

"No," The half-breed shook his head slightly. He had a hunch about this one, wasn't sure where it came from, but it was there. "This has Gyumaoh written all over it, don't ask me why though. I think that's why Sanzo was targeted in the first place."

"Yes, but Kami-sama himself had nothing to do with the resurrection. Or at least nothing that we knew of." Hakkai paused a bit in his tedious chore, reconsidered how much he really cared about it at the moment. "It was just a reminder that we tend to attract trouble."

"I guess you've got a point." Gojyo held his head in his hand and rubbed slightly. He briefly wondered where he had put his hair tie when a few locks fell into his eyes. "Then again, that master didn't seem to care 'bout that kid too much. So maybe he's working for the demons and that was just a side-job for him."

"I guess that's a possibility." Hakkai pulled out a nightshirt and folded it neatly on the bed. He set the bag down on the floor afterwards. He just wasn't feeling motivated enough to truly unpack tonight. A nightshirt would suffice for now. "I just wish we had some concrete evidence to back things up. Or at the very least a lead to go off of. I almost hope it is Gyumaoh related so we are at least dealing with what we know. A stranger involves all new connections, options and circles to infiltrate."

"Damn, that just makes things even more complicated. What are we going to do, Hakkai?"

"Keep looking." The demon halted his thoughts to wander to the window and watch the drops hit the glass softly. The steady beat was straining his nerves. Hakkai gripped the window's sill and flexed his fingers. "And keep our tempers under control. If we're not in our right minds we'll never be able to help Sanzo."

"I'm scared, Hakkai." Gojyo watched the tip of his smoke fade and the little light flicker. He watched his friend until he walked away from the windows. Gojyo wasn't dumb enough to miss the subtle hint that Hakkai was having trouble keeping it together, too. Stupid rain. "What if he tries to do to Sanzo what he did to Kami-sama?"

"Sanzo's different, strong. He already has a master, and he's not that influential." Goku broke into the conversation before Hakkai could answer. The boy had been coming over to see what the plans for tomorrow were, but he couldn't help but interrupt. Their conversation was much too depressing to be allowed to continue. Goku pushed the door all the way open and sat quietly on Hakkai's bed. He kept his eyes downcast. "He won't go down that easy."

"I'm sure you're right, Goku." Hakkai smiled a bit to try and lift the mood. Goku's face was riddled with lines and his eyes were dark from the lack of sleep. He was looking his age, and that didn't quite sit right with Hakkai. "You should be sleeping."

"Can't."

"You can't help Sanzo if you're tired, monkey." Gojyo flicked a little ash in a tray, scowled when it missed and little lit embers hit the table. It was cheap wood anyway. "Go to bed."

"Yes, you've been up for two days straight, Goku." Hakkai rubbed the boy's back a little in the most comforting manner he could muster. Pressed harder when he could see Goku's eyes droop slightly. "Sleep will be good for you."

"It's not that I'm not trying." It's that every time he shut his eyes he saw blonde hair, slightly dirty, swaying slightly in a breeze. It's that every time he shut his eyes he could see a set of large violet eyes glaring at him, blaming him. Every time it was the same image over and over of a face and a set of hands he couldn't get to in time. Goku pulled his knees into his chest. "I want to be in fit shape so I can beat that bastard's face in when I get my hands on him. I won't forgive him for this. Ever."

"Well, just keep that thought in your head and maybe sleep will come." Gojyo smiled a little. He was proud of the kid for holding it together this long in the game, especially when they were losing. Gojyo was thankful revenge was the only thing he wanted, though that did leave a bit of competition open. "Just remember to leave a piece for the rest of us. Forget Sanzo, I still owe this son of a bitch for Kami-sama."

"Yes, well." Hakkai reached over to drop the blinds and pull the shade shut before following his own advice. Goku and Gojyo weren't the only ones who were exhausted. "Tomorrow morning we'll get something to eat and start looking again. For now, let's all try and get some sleep."

"That goes for you, too." Gojyo blew a puff in Hakkai's direction. "Rain or not."

"Yes, I'll be sleeping, too." Hakkai gave Goku a gentle shove and pat on the back to encourage him to stand up. "Have a good night, Goku."

"Yeah." Goku nodded and dragged his feet out the door to his room next door. He couldn't help but feel slightly upset about being shoved out of the room so quickly, but everyone was on edge. He hoped that the others were as okay as they acted, he doubted it, but he could hope.

After the door clicked shut, Gojyo snuffed out his cigarette and yanked off his jacket. It was getting muggy in the room with the window latched shut. It was a pity his friends got so cranky around rain, it would have cooled down the room to have the window open. "It ain't right seeing Goku that depressed."

"I agree, but there's not much we can do about it Gojyo." Hakkai smiled softly and turned down the bed. He put his hand on Gojyo's head and pet the hair lightly. It was highly distracting, and soft. The texture reminded him of Sanzo's hair just a little, not that he'd tell that to Gojyo. He pulled away at the thoughts and changed his clothes quietly. "We'll talk about it in the morning."

Gojyo pulled himself up out of the chair and away from Hakkai's side of the room to collapse on his own bed. He didn't bother changing his clothes, there wasn't any reason to. "Yeah, morning."

"Good night, Gojyo."

Gojyo wondered how it could possibly be a good night, but that was Hakkai. He was the most optimistic pessimist Gojyo had ever met. But that was just the thing they needed sometimes. Gojyo buried his face in his pillow and decided to just shut down his brain. Sleep was something they all needed right now. It was going to be a long day tomorrow, and probably an even longer week. Or Month. Or Year. "Damn, I'm depressing myself again."

"Good _night_, Gojyo."

Gojyo chuckled. "Yeah, whatever."

-----

"Kou." Dokugakuji grabbed his prince's shoulder to slow him down a bit. He hated it when Kougaiji got something into his head like this. It always meant trouble and clean-up for the rest of them. No matter how much they loved the man. "Have you thought about this? All the way through?"

"Yes, now let go." Kougaiji pushed his friend's hand off of him. The prince was stressed and couldn't figure out why the heck his two companions were taking the time _now_ to complain when they had been just fine about it at the castle. Sometimes Dokugakuji could worry too much, at least Yaone was on his side. "They have a right to know what's going on."

"I think Dokugakuji had a point." Yaone added as she trotted behind the two men. Her lord was walking awfully quickly towards the town and even Dokugaku was having trouble keeping up. "They're going to blame you and start a fight. And even if they don't, we're helping the enemy."

"Why are you two having second thoughts now?" Kougaiji stopped walking to turn to the two behind him. So maybe Yaone wasn't one hundred percent behind him on this one. This was more delays he didn't need to deal with.

"We're behind you, Kou. You know that." Dokugakuji waited a beat. "If this is what you want, we'll do it. We're just worried about the consequences."

"I just heard this morning that Lady Koushuu has approved Nii's actions personally. We'd be interfering with the revival plan and that means more trouble for us than we've already got to deal with. We're just thinking of your best interests."

"That woman doesn't scare me." Kougaiji paused to look at the town below. According to his contacts the Sanzo party was staying in one of the rooms. "And she wouldn't dare touch Lirin. Or is it the Sanzo party you two are really worried about?"

Dokugakuji sighed and tried to figure out the words in his head. It's not that he didn't have faith in Kougaiji's fighting abilities, he was just worried about motivations. Kou was pretty scary when you threatened Lirin, and he imagined Goku got the same way about the grouchy monk. "Are you prepared to take the Sanzo party to Houtou Castle, Kou?"

"Of course not." Kougaiji crossed his arms. "They're still our enemy, even if I am being generous."

"Then we should be prepared for a fight, and I can bet it'll be a nasty one." At the prince's lifted eyebrow, Dokugakuji briefly wished he wasn't the oldest of the group. He always got stuck with being the responsible one or the bad guy. "Let me summarize your plan for you again: We're going to go in, tell them Nii's got Sanzo, and then leave. You know that Goku's going to go crazy on us if we're holding out info on them, especially when it comes to his little pet priest. If we try to exchange info for the scripture it'll be even worse. They're going to want help and transportation, whether we give it freely or they have to take it by force."

"Why are you bringing this up now, and not at the castle?" Kougaiji hated to admit it, but the thought of facing a vengeful Goku wasn't exactly comforting. He couldn't figure out if he was grateful or angry at Dokugakuji for bringing this information to light.

"Too many ears, my Lord." Yaone dropped her eyes a little. "I doubt this is the type of conversation you want your step-mother to hear. Or worse, Dr. Nii."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Kougaiji dropped his arms and clenched his fists. He could see the town lights flickering on and off as the humans went to sleep. He felt like they were wasting time just standing around. "We just can't leave things like this. My pride won't allow it."

Dokugakuji took in his lord and looked down at the roof that was concealing his little brother. He could empathize with the grief and torment they were all going through. He was sure they were feeling what him and Yaone experienced with that bastard took Kou. In that respect, he agreed that things couldn't remain as they were, but he still had his doubts. Dokugakuji also couldn't shake the feeling that this was going to get a lot worse real fast if they didn't stop Nii soon. Call it gut instinct.

"We could leave them a note." Yaone shifted her weight on her hips a little and wringed her hands together slightly. She hoped that her Lord could listen to reason at the moment. His pride had gotten them into quite a few scraps that she'd rather not repeat. "That way we can give them the information without a conflict."

"Yeah." Dokugakuji smiled a little. Leave it to Yaone to save the day. "And we wouldn't even have to sign it with our real names. We'd be able to let them know and not have to worry about the help they'll want that we can't give them."

"What if they think it's a prank?" Kougaiji pondered. It was a good idea, but it was always good to look at the pessimistic side. He watched as a few street lamps lit below to compensate for the setting sun. "Or a trap?"

"If I do say, my lord, it'll be the only lead they have." Yaone shrugged a little and moved her hands behind her back. "It's not like many people know about this event. What other option would they have?"

"Let's do it." Kougaiji left it at that and started walking towards the dragons to get paper from the packs. It was better than sitting there and doing nothing.

"Now we're talking." Dokugakuji grinned and pat Yaone on the head. Laughed when she swatted him away. He gave her a playful knock with his knuckles to her cheek and lowered his voice. "Good going, Yaone. I was scared he wasn't going to listen to us for a bit."

"Oh please. Next time, you think of something to keep Lord Kougaiji out of trouble. I'm tired of covering for your laziness, Dokugaku." Yaone responded just as softly.

"I heard that."

"Sorry Lord Kougaiji!"

"Sorry Kou!"

"I'm sure. Dokugakuji, get over here. I can't find the paper." Kougaiji grumbled digging through a supply pack. He never knew where Yaone put his things when she cleaned.

"It should be in the left pocket."

"I don't see it."

Yaone giggled at her friends' antics and jogged after Lord Kougaiji and Dokugaku. They'd never find it at this rate and she had to make sure the letter was appropriate. Men were hopeless.

-----

"Excuse me!"

Hakkai paused as the man at the desk waved him down. He pointed to himself to make sure that he was the one being addressed before the clerk waved him over. Smiling, he politely asked Goku and Gojyo to go ahead and grab breakfast without him before turning back to the clerk. "Did you need something? I could have sworn we paid in advance."

"Oh no, sir." The clerk smiled. He reached under the desk and pulled out an envelope sealed with wax that was a tad oversized. It had 'Sanzo Party' scrawled over the front in neat lettering. "This was left for you by some guests late this evening after you had retired. The name on the letter doesn't match your registry, but the lady insisted that it was for you."

"Yes, it is indeed for us. Thank-you." With a nod, Hakkai let the man to rejoin Goku and Gojyo as quickly as possible. It seems that whoever was behind everything had finally made his move. Or it was another assassination attempt. Hakkai almost wished for the latter just so he could kill something.

"What's that, Hakkai?" Goku asked around a yawn. He had tried to get some sleep, but it just wouldn't show up. He took another bite out of the waffle the nice waitress had brought to his table. At least with a full stomach he'd have the energy to make it through the day.

"I'm not sure, but I have a bad feeling about it." The demon ripped through the wax to open the slightly large envelope. Hakkai stared at the piece of paper and was almost disappointed. "It's just a plain, hand written letter."

"What's it say?" Gojyo leaned over Hakkai's shoulder, careful not to drop his cigarette ash on the paper. He put his guard up when Hakkai clenched the paper tightly and he held his breath. "Hakkai?"

"They know where Sanzo is."

Hakkai's voice had been deathly quiet during that last statement. Goku didn't like it, but he liked what he had heard. "Where is he?"

The demon made sure his voice was lowered when he continued. You could never be too careful with who was around and listening in on conversations. "Houtou Castle. Someone named 'Dr. Nii Jianyi' has kidnapped him. The letter doesn't state why, just where he is and that this man is responsible for what's happened to Sanzo in its entirety."

"That's it?" Gojyo cursed and crushed his cigarettes in his hand. "That's all? A name of a place we're already failing to get to and a name of some crazy doctor. Hell, that doesn't even qualify as a threat or a trap, it's practically useless."

"That's not true." Goku glared. "It tells us where he is and who has him, right? And that's where we're going anyway, so it just means we have to get our butts there even faster."

"I agree." Hakkai stood from the table. "We'll take the food to go."

"Now we're talking!" Goku grabbed a napkin and piled the food into it before snatching his pack and heading outside where Jeep was parked. Gojyo and Hakkai followed behind at a more morose pace, but he could tell they were determined. They weren't out of the water yet, but they were going to cross this river if it killed them. Goku was going to find Sanzo no matter what.

-----

"Isn't it beautiful, Dr. Hwang?"

"You." Hwang lost all thought processes. Despite the events of the past month, it was still hard for the woman to wrap her brain around what she was seeing. It had suddenly become tangible and within arm's reach instead of a tiny picture on a blinking screen. This, this was a biological breakthrough for science. She was lucky to have mumbled the one word that she had.

"I knew you'd be impressed."

"Does, does Lady Koushuu know about this?" Hwang pressed her fingertips to the glass and watched the tiny bubbles float by the motionless figure. She was briefly reminded of Lirin's short stay in a tube, but that experiment didn't send a chill down her spine. This was on a whole other level; there was power here. Hwang could feel her other hand tighten painfully around the flat of her clipboard. It was beautiful and terrifying all at the same time.

"She does." Nii lit a cigarette and let the smoke out in a slow ring. Watched Hwang's spine tighten and twist from her neck to the curve of her skirt. "Signed and approved personally."

"How did you do this?"

Nii's assistant carried a bit of awe in her voice, with just a trace of fear lying beneath. He knew today was going to be a good day. "That's a secret."

Hwang felt Nii take a few steps closer and slant up against her back. Flush against her, he reached an arm out and placed his hand over hers on the glass. He was so cold. She shuttered when he leant in close to speak directly to her ear. His whispered breath felt like it was burning her chilled skin as he spoke. "Would you like to be his new mommy?"

Hwang ripped her eyes from the tube and turned to face the stubble laden man behind her. Their noses nearly touched. Nii smiled as the clipboard fell from the woman's limp fingertips. It was going to be a good day, indeed.


	13. Assassin

A little Hwang & Nii action there in the beginning for you-know-who-you-are. Otherwise, enjoy the next chapter and thanks for reviewing!

**Chapter 12: Assassin**

"I can't believe you did that!"

"What's the matter now, Dr. Hwang?" Nii frowned. "I thought you wanted to be his new mommy?"

"I'm too young to be a mother!"

"Don't be absurd, you're a perfect mommy." Nii pushed up from his rolling chair to smile at the furious brunette in front of him. He had really lit a powder keg with his latest bit of fun. "And it's a little late to protest now. The damage has already been done I'm afraid."

"I could tell. He did call me 'mom' this morning, now didn't he?" Hwang huffed. Of all the nerve of that man. To make that brat call her of all people 'mother.'

"Or maybe, it's not the mother thing that has you angry?" Nii lifted an eyebrow and chuckled as her blush deepened. It was too easy. "Maybe what's bothering you is who he called 'dad' this morning? Hmm? You're blushing, Ms. Hwang."

Hwang covered her face furiously with her hands and wished her make-up could hide the tomato red her cheeks were turning as she fumed. "That might have something to do with it."

Wang laughed from his corner. "Oh, I don't know. I think Mommy Hwang and Daddy Nii is sort of cute." He leaned his chin on his clawed hand and grinned. "You two argue like a married couple as it is. Just accept the inevitable and make sure not to forget me when making out the wedding invites."

"Oh shut up 'Grandpa'" Hwang twitched and grit her teeth. They should be working, not fooling around with nicknames the latest experiment of Nii's was calling them. This was absurd and unprofessional. Hwang gripped a counter behind her for support. "And if you think I'd have _anything_ to do with this degenerate outside of Lady Koushuu's project, you're insane."

"That hurts, Dr. Hwang." Nii grabbed his chest for emphasis. "What will we tell the little one when he comes home to see us fighting? He'll think our marriage is over!"

"Please, he's smarter than that." Hwang huffed and twitched her fingers against the grains. "I doubt he stays under this delusion of parenthood for long, even if you did program it into his head."

"He probably thinks he's adopted. Most parents lie to their kids about that anyway, so it wouldn't even hurt your plans. There's no way he's your biological kid." Wang laughed as he started typing numbers into his computer. "I'm sure the hair color gave it away before your petty squabbling does. For goodness sake, the kid's got blonde hair."

Nii nodded. "Exactly, no wonder you're my favorite chess partner."

"I'm your only chess partner."

"You're both morons, but anyway, so he knows we hate each other, and that he's adopted, but he still calls us 'mom' and 'dad'?" Hwang rolled her eyes. "This is absurd."

"I think it's rather cute." Nii wrapped his arms quickly around Hwang's waist and jerked her back. She hadn't even noticed him sneaking up behind her. Such a fun play toy. "Besides, it's not like you have kids of your own."

"Get your hands off of me."

"When you call me 'daddy' I will."

"You're sick."

"Say it, mommy dearest."

"I am going to kill you."

Wang laughed in his corner as the two bickered. Nii had gotten much more forward with his lab assistant ever since this whole fake parent thing got started. He must feel justified now that Hwang's his pretty little wife. A slight knock came on the lab door to distract his musings and he hobbled over to answer. A quick bow from a solider and Wang found himself holding a letter addressed to their favorite human doctor. "Hey, Nii."

"Yes, Grandpa?" Nii laughed as Hwang clawed at his coat trying to pull away. She was just far too much fun to play with when she was angry.

"You have a summons from your mistress." Wang laughed. "Sorry Mommy, but Nii has to go play Sugar Daddy."

"Ah, and I do hate to break up our pretty little family." Nii released Hwang and she fumed to herself in a corner and evened out her breathing. "But the lady summons."

"Just get the hell away from me." Hwang continued with her brooding and plots of murder.

"As you wish." Nii smiled as he grabbed his little stuffed friend and headed outside of the doors. He'd have to make a good impression today, or he would never get what he wanted.

"That man has some nerve." Hwang ran a hand through her hair to straighten it out. But she knew it was still frizzed.

"He's just being his normal freaky self."

"He has no right to drag us down into his little experiments." Hwang growled. "Mother indeed."

"I don't know." Wang tapped a screen. "I sort of like being a grandpa."

-----

Hakkai sipped at a cup of sake thoughtfully at the bar seat. Gojyo was beside him, head buried in his arms and mind dripping with liquor. Hakkai wasn't sure were Goku was, but if he had to guess he'd assume the boy was brooding on a roof or something. It seemed fitting for the situation. The demon sat the drink down on the table when his companion stirred enough to free an eye from his arms.

Hakkai always knew that the trip to Houtou Castle would take far longer than any of them had anticipated. He just wasn't aware that it could feel any slower a journey than it was already taking. Despite pushing Jeep to his limits, Hakkai felt they were making a snail's pace across China. He agreed with Gojyo's plan to kidnap a dragon next time they saw the Kougaiji party if they refused to give us a lift. Pleasantries be damned.

"It's been almost two weeks since anybody's done or said anything to us."

"I'm aware, Gojyo." Which is why they've yet to have a chance at another form of transportation. "You don't need to mention it every other day."

"I can't help it." Gojyo stretched a little. "All we do is drive, and if we take a break the monkey whines. We're lucky we get to sleep at night."

"He just wants to find Sanzo." The demon tipped his cup with his hand and watched the drink slosh around. "As we all do."

"Yeah, but monkey's starting to worry me, Hakkai." Gojyo mumbled and rammed his face back into the crook of his elbow. He just wanted every light in the world to go out and leave him alone. It was too bright in this dank dump of a bar. "He's getting too edgy."

"Goku will keep control of himself, I'm certain of it." While he disagreed out loud to quell Gojyo's fears, Goku was starting to worry Hakkai as well. The boy was experiencing an odd mixture of depression and rage that couldn't be good for him. "You've had too much to drink."

"That weak shit couldn't get me drunk and you know it."

"Oh course, my mistake." Hakkai sighed and downed the last of his cup. It might be a good idea to find Goku and have them all go to bed. "Let's get going, Gojyo."

"Right, just give me a sec." Gojyo forced his head into an upright position and stared at the table. It was moving on him, the jerk. Well this water sprite was going to show that table just who was boss. "Okay, getting up."

At the first stumble, Hakkai reached down to grab Gojyo's arm and fling it over his shoulder. He wish just once Gojyo could admit he was drunk. As Gojyo gave up trying to walk on his own, Hakkai took the first few steps. "Let's take it slowly, okay?"

"Think the monkey's going to go crazy on us?"

Hakkai rearranged his thoughts in his head to find the right answer to that question. "As I said, I doubt it. Goku knows he's useless to Sanzo if he falls off the deep end, just like we're useless in this depressive state."

"Never thought I'd miss the monk so much." Gojyo mumbled into Hakkai's shoulder as he leaned in further. Maybe Hakkai would carry him up the stairs since his feet didn't want to move. "It's no fun with just the monkey to tease and no one to piss off."

"I can't say I'm too happy not knowing what's happening to him at any given moment either, Gojyo. But there's not much we can do." Hakkai found himself slipping into old habits bringing Gojyo up the stairs. Just a few more clumsy steps to go and they'd be at the top of the stairs and ready to move to the room.

"Just get to India, right? Can't be that far away, right?" Gojyo laughed as he tripped on a stair. They just wouldn't stay still. "Damn, this sucks."

"I couldn't agree more." Hakkai smiled softly as he pulled Gojyo up the last rung of the staircase. A quick redirect and Gojyo was leaning on the door to their room. He opened the door and grabbed Gojyo before he could fall over. It might not have been the brightest idea to place the semi-conscious man against a moving surface. After securing the drunkard, Hakkai could see clearly into an empty hotel room. "Seems Goku hasn't returned yet."

"I rather doubt he does anytime soon. He's been disappearing at night like this for a few days. I really doubt if he took our advice to get some sleep."

"I hate to admit that you're right." Hakkai frowned and dropped Gojyo onto the closer bed. Gojyo mumbled something incoherent and dug his face into the sheets. A few moments later, Hakkai found himself alone. "Asleep already?"

Hakkai shook his head and pulled a blanket overtop of Gojyo. As an afterthought, he pulled the man's hair away from his face. "You're hopeless sometimes."

Hakkai took a seat down on his own bed and just looked outside the window at the dark night. The moon was full and bright against the dark sky. As he laid his head upon the pillow, Hakkai's last few conscious thoughts were of Goku. He hoped the boy could cope to the situation. If he couldn't, than their little group may not make it to India in one piece. That wouldn't do Sanzo any bit of good at all.

-----

Goku had thought long and hard about what he was going to do to the guy who had turned Sanzo into a kid. Well, the kid part hadn't really turned out so badly, but this kidnapping thing was downright unforgivable. The boy shifted a little as a particularly rough tile rubbed his back the wrong way on the roof. He probably should be trying to get some sleep, but it just wouldn't come to him. How could he sleep when he didn't know if his friend was okay or not? It made him sort of bitter at Hakkai and Gojyo for being asleep right now in the room below his feet.

A tile was kicked loose when Goku shifted his weight and he watched it slide down the roof to shatter on the road beneath it. He kicked a second tile and watched it drag two or three loose ones down with it. Goku didn't care how much noise it made, it wasn't like anyone could do anything to him. It was such a fragile thing he was sitting on. Wouldn't take much to break it at all.

Much like a small child.

Goku growled as his thoughts once again turned to Sanzo and his current predicament. The thoughts of what that bastard was doing to his Sanzo even as he sat here alone was enough to drive anyone crazy. Goku could still see that man petting those blonde strands and running grimy fingers down those tiny arms. If he so much as hurt a hair on Sanzo's head, Goku was going to make sure his nerves were so shattered he could never feel a living thing again. Ever.

With that satisfactory thought of revenge, Goku could shove the depression at not being able to help out of his heart as easily as shoving a shingle off a roof. Yes, anger was much more pleasant an emotion to cling to than helplessness and tears.

Goku jumped down from the roof with an extra burst of energy and started walking. The tiles crunched under his feet on the pavement as he crossed over them. Some fresh air might clear his head a little so he could think. They needed a faster way to get to India, and he was sure to find one.

-----

"Hey! Kou!" Dokugakuji shouted as he ran down the hall to catch up with his prince. "There's a flying dragon missing. You don't think Lirin took it, do you?"

"That's impossible." Kougaiji blinked. "Yaone's with Lirin right now. She would have come gotten me immediately if Lirin wandered off. It's too dangerous now to just assume she ran away any more."

"Yeah, but that means we've got another problem on our hands." Dokugakuji had wished it was Lirin who had taken the thing. He somehow had known it wasn't her, but he was hoping that it was. Lirin taking a flying dragon meant something normal was happening for once. But that was never the case lately. "That means one of our own or someone else stole one."

"But who would have taken one? The entire castle knows that they're off limits." Kougaiji thought for a moment. "Nii."

"You think?"

"I would bet money on it that he took one of them for something."

"You think he's acting on his plan?"

"Yes, whatever it is he's planning." Kougaiji clenched his fists. "Damn it. All we know is he's got Sanzo in his lab. This doesn't help us at all."

"Did you ask the stable keep who took the dragon?"

Dokugakuji shrugged. "He said it was some guy in a hooded cape with an official document giving permission."

"And you thought Lirin took it?" Kougaiji lifted an eyebrow. Dokugakuji was usually smarter than that.

"Wishful thinking." Dokugakuji forced a fake laugh. "She's a smart kid, she could have done it if she didn't want us to know she had left."

"I guess. But that still means we don't know who took it." Kougaiji frowned. "I don't like this."

"Me either, Kou." The elder demon sighed. "Leaves a bad feeling in my gut."

"Let's go check Yaone and make sure they're okay." The prince started walking, hair flowing like fire behind him. "It might be paranoid, but something bad is going to happen. I can feel it."

"Right behind you, Kou!"

-----

"You called for me, Lady?" Dr. Nii smirked as he strut into his favorite puppet's quarters. She was draped over a chair in that blue kimono of hers with her hand around a succulent cherry. Her creamy white legs where cruelly drawn together to her side. "May I ask if it's business or personal?"

"Business." Koushuu smirked. Dr. Nii was looking so full of himself. "A little rat tells me you finally brought your little pet project back to the castle?"

"Your little rat seems to be efficient, if not late in the information." Nii shrugged. It the lady got her information weeks after the fact it was no threat to him. "So I take it it's not Hwang, then?"

Koushuu laughed a little. She wished the man would give her a little credit. "Please, you don't think she's the only one who tells me things, do you?"

"Of course not." The good doctor stretched his shoulder out a little and switched arms that was holding his precious bunny. "But I am in a hurry, my lady. To what do I owe such an audience?"

"I want to know how your little project is going to bring me closer to having my dear Gyumaoh back among us." Koushuu shifted and took a bite out of her cherry treat, placed the stem in a bowl. "You did promise me this experiment of yours would get us both what we wanted."

"I did say that, didn't I?" Nii chuckled as he closed the distance between him and his favorite puppet. Her legs moved in front of her and opened slightly. Maybe if Hwang wasn't up to playing the part of 'mommy' than Lady Koushuu would. "No worries, I've already sent him out to handle the situation."

"And he'll succeed?" The concubine smiled as the man neared her and placed his warm hands on her thighs. She knew this man was good for something when she hired him.

"Without a doubt." A slow stroke down the milky thigh had created the most wonderful look on her face. Her lips pursed together in a frown as she reasserted her so called dominance. "He'll complete this mission and make us both very happy."

The lady reached out a hand to pull Nii's glasses off of his face. She wanted a clear look into his eyes. As usual, they revealed nothing to her but the thoughts of a man who knew what he was doing. Still, they were deep and dark. "He'd better."

"Is that all my lady wanted?" The man moved a bit of fabric out of the way.

"Your lady wants the five scriptures, now." He wasn't going to get what he wanted. Not today. She closed her legs completely and pulled them beneath her on her throne.

"So persistent with your goals." Nii tilted his head and placed his hands on her hips.

"It's how I always get what I want." A pair of claws raked down the sleeves of his coat, leaving little shreds. She licked a droplet of blood off the tip of her index finger.

"What a coincidence, me too."

They both hit the ground with a thud.

-----

"This is such bull shit." Goku smacked his fists down into the huge pile of rocks in the group's way. Someone up in the heavens must really, really hate them to keep shoving all of this shit in their faces. "First we have the forest with all the stupid knocked over trees, than the stupid mile wide river and now we're dealing with a stupid rock slide! What's the deal?"

"Chill, monkey." Gojyo sighed around a stick full of smoke. The water sprite was just glad he was smart enough to pick up extra cigs before they began the delay from hell. He kicked a rock as it rolled from Goku's carnage against the rocks. "Just be glad we've been fighting nature instead of hoards of assassins."

"I'd almost prefer the assassins." Goku snarled as he smashed his cudgel down into the first rock he could reach after his fists stopped being affective. Damn the Jeep for not being able to fly! "At least then I could ditch some of this stress."

"We all feel the same, Goku." Hakkai adjusted his monocle to get a better look at the crumbling rocks. He couldn't fathom why Goku was complaining, considering the rate he was tearing through the rock bed. While earlier signs had pointed to an increase of depression for Goku as time went by, he shouldn't have been surprised by the anger. The longer the monkey was kept from his master the more violent and irritated he became. Hakkai sighed and tried playing the roll of referee one last time. "Let's just get over this obstacle and hit the next town. We could all use some food and some sleep."

"I bet Sanzo could, too." Goku kicked a rock as hard as he could. Though he was hungry, it wasn't what was important right now. "But we don't know because he's not here, do we?"

"I swear, if you mention that damn monk again in the next five minutes I'm going to pop you one!" Gojyo cursed and slammed his cigarette into the ground. Sanzo, Sanzo, Sanzo was all that stupid monkey could think about for two weeks! "We're getting there as fast as we can and we're no good to anybody exhausted and famished!"

"We're not going fast enough!" Goku shouted back. He was at the point of almost full out snarling at his friends.

"Goku." Hakkai put his hands to his temples and took in a deep breath. This was almost worse than when Gojyo had abandoned them. Why couldn't this group function when a member went missing? Were they all that socially maladjusted that a single change in their environment would cause them all to lose it? "Just, calm down."

"I've been calm!" The sage smacked his staff into the ground and gripped his fists. The tears were building from his frustration, but he refused to cry. Sanzo wouldn't want him to cry over something so stupid. "Why is it taking so long to get there?"

"It's always taken too long to get there." Hakkai sighed and dropped his arms to his sides. Getting angry wouldn't help anything. He had to use logic to attack this insanity. "We'd been traveling over a year before all this started and were no where closer than we are now."

"Shit, makes you wonder how Red and my Bro make it back and forth so quick with just those little dragons." Gojyo pondered in an attempt to lighten the mood. Or at least remind them of the hope that a visit from their favorite prince would bring. "You wouldn't think they could travel that far."

"Yes, well they can." Hakkai tapped Jeep on the head and signaled for him to turn back into the motor vehicle. Goku had cleared the path quite efficiently during his little fit. There was an open field on the other side of the little pass which was just perfect for driving. "And we do not, so please don't dwell on it."

Goku swung his legs over the Jeep door to settle down into the back seat after letting out a big breath. As Gojyo sat down across from him he leaned his head into the front seat back. "You think Kougaiji would lend us a dragon?"

"I think he'd want a scripture for it." Hakkai sighed and moved the gear shift. The sound of the accelerator calmed him and he subconsciously stroked the dash board. Jeep was such a good sport to put up with them all. "I doubt he'd just give it up."

"We could take it." Goku hummed to himself as the breeze filtered through his hair. "It wouldn't be too hard."

"Yeah well, we don't exactly have him hear to ask for it anyway." Gojyo leaned into his seat and stretched as far as he could. If they weren't driving, they were sleeping. This was way too much time to be cramped up in a small space. Even if he did miss the monk. "Which is weird. I wonder why Gyumaoh's cronies have been leavin' us alone for so long."

"As much as I hate to say it, Gojyo." Hakkai broke in. "I think it's because they have something big planned for us."

Gojyo looked up over the seat to see out the windshield and nearly groaned as he pointed. Damn Hakkai for being right so often. "Something like that?"

"Yes, something just like that." Hakkai pressed slowly on the brake as he watched the hooded figure standing in his way. It was only one person, but at this point in the game it either meant one of two things: he was amazingly strong or he was stupid. The man's face was hidden by the hood, but the slim body was dressed in leather or some other tight black material that easily covered his torso and legs. The boots were well made and looked worn in, which told Hakkai their friend was a fighter. The arms were bare, save for a pair of leather gloves which nestled neatly on the hands at the strangers hips. "We should greet our visitor."

Goku glared at the man standing in front of the Jeep. He couldn't tell if it was a demon or human with him standing downwind, but there was something dangerous about this guy. He kept his eyes trained on the hood the wind was threatening to peal off. Then they'd know what they were dealing with. "What the hell do you want?"

Gojyo cringed as the figure chuckled and a very familiar vocal tone filled the air. The child of taboo almost started believing in his own bad luck. "Shit."

"You guys get straight to the point don't you?" The gloved hand reached up to the hood to untie the knot and pull it off his face. Was no point in fighting with that thing on. Screw what Dad says, he wanted to fight these guys face to face. "But that's okay, it makes things more interesting."

"Sanzo?" Hakkai found himself staring and had to step out of the Jeep to get a closer look. There was no mistaking that blonde hair and set of violet eyes. The face was even the same, only it was twisted into a cruel smile. He even had the chakra in the middle of his forehead. Mocking them.

"Nope, not a Sanzo, but man, I don't even think I want to know what type of Sanzo you guys know if you think a guy in leathers is one at first glance." The blonde put his fingers to his cheek and pushed up a bit in thought. "But then again, sounds like that could be fun, too."

Goku's breathing was picking up slowly as he stared in front of him. It was Sanzo. Just standing there and smiling. Goku's brain was screaming at him to run and tackle the man and never let him go again, but his body was frozen in spot. It refused to move. "Sanzo."

"Okay, getting weird now, but maybe if I introduce myself we can get down to business and forget this Sanzo bullshit." Tightening his gloves and shifting the weight on his hips, the man continued with a slight smirk of the mouth. "My name is Kouryuu, and I'm here for the Maten Scripture. Hand it over or die."


	14. Too Far Gone

Sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoy the next installment. Thank you so much for reading, reviewing and joining along for the ride!

**Chapter 13: Too Far Gone**

"Calm down!" Dokugakuji held up his hands pleadingly. Yaone's hair was frazzled and she looked like Lirin had been hurt or something. Though, considering she'd been running around the castle more lately instead of outside, thank the gods for little blessings, it wasn't likely. So that left Dokugakuji trying to calm a frantic woman, lucky him. "Now say that again."

"Someone was in my lab!" Yaone shrieked. She had gone in this morning all ready to make a few extra bombs for Kougaiji's next outing when she saw the mess. Papers misplaced, powders missing, and a few of her final products had been broken apart. Not to mention little tell-tale signs of theft! "They messed with my things and ruined everything!"

"Well, okay." Dokugakuji tried his best to calm his friend. There were hundreds of demons in this castle alone that could have done it. For all they knew it was just someone messing with them for the heck of it. Heck, Dokugakuji wouldn't put it past Koushuu to send someone to do something like that just because she was bitter. "It could just be some random idiot who got lost."

"They took all of the papers and materials I had taken from Nii's lab." Yaone narrowed her eyes. Dokugaku just was not understanding her frustration. Hadn't she told him when she first saw him in the hall of all the damages? Seems she'd have to repeat herself. "All of it. Random idiots don't do that."

The elder demon sighed. Great, so now he made Yaone mad and there's a serious leak of information out. The swordsman was silently wishing Kougaiji would show up from checking Lirin so they could get on with things. "Okay, so Nii or one of his flunkies was in your lab. Have you told Kou yet?"

"Not yet, but when I find out who did it." Yaone huffed and gripped her fists. She hadn't been this angry since, well, Nii kidnapped her. She really hated that man. "They're going to be sorry."

"Just, calm down. Losing your head won't solve anything." Dokugakuji crossed his arms. He really couldn't understand women sometimes, and Yaone was usually so calm and reasonable, too.

"Excuse me? 'Just, calm down?' I've been violated and you tell me to just calm down!"

"Ouch. No need to shout." Dokugakuji winced a little at the outburst. "Violated? Jeez, Yaone. He got into your lab, not your knickers."

"The sanctity of her lab is just as precious to Yaone as if it where that, I'm sure."

"Kou!" Dokugakuji couldn't help the grin as he inched towards his prince who had miraculously appeared behind him. Yaone looked like she was ready to castrate the swordsman with a bomb as it is. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." Kougaiji turned to his apothecary and put on a sweet smile. It might be best to diffuse the situation at hand before moving on to more important things. "Take an inventory of everything that was taken. We'll get him for this, I promise."

"Of course, Lord Kougaiji." Yaone smiled at her lord. At least he understood her. With that in mind, Yaone took a deep calming breath and headed back for her lab. Dr. Nii would definitely pay for every single bit of powder that was missing from her lab.

"Thanks for the save, man." Dokugakuji muttered as Yaone walked off.

"Not a problem, my friend." Kougaiji chuckled a little. The wrath of a woman scorned was something he wouldn't wish on anyone.

"So, what are we going to do about this little problem?" Dokugakuji dragged a hand across his face. This whole thing was turning into a madhouse and he really had no clue what to do about any of it.

"I'm not sure." Kougaiji sighed. "And we still haven't found out who took that dragon, either."

"Things are just perfect around here, aren't they?"

"Something like that." Kougaiji hummed to himself. The first step to solving a problem, was to figure out what it was in the first place. He was still missing far too many of the pieces to know exactly what he was dealing with, but he was sure they'd find out soon enough. "Let's go, Dokugakuji."

"Yes, sir."

-----

"So, are we going to do this or what? This is a total waste of my time otherwise." Kouryuu huffed. Those three morons were still staring at him like fish. Maybe they were still shocked it was a human attacking them instead of a hoard of demons. Whatever the case, he was getting bored with the little stand off. "I know you guys get this all the time, so why the big shock now?"

"Sanzo." Goku breathed. Sanzo was standing there, before him, as proud as ever. Full grown, too. He had even gotten his familiar scowl back on his face that declared he was now irritated with them. But what was he talking about? "Why are you doing this?"

"That should be obvious by now. It's not like there are that many people trying to take that thing that aren't related to Gyumaoh in some way shape or form." The blonde sighed. Dad had said something about these three being mentally challenged, but he had hoped the old man had been wrong. Kouryuu scratched the back of his head viciously. He was getting a headache. "And for the last time, the name's not Sanzo."

"Do forgive us, the resemblance between you and our Sanzo is remarkable." Hakkai started slowly. If what they had seen by now of the good doctor, mind control and brain washing didn't seem out of character. He already had a perfect subject to work with considering the vulnerable state in which he had taken Sanzo. Capture and detoxification seemed to be the best course of action in this scenario. He tensed a bit. Knocking Sanzo out wasn't going to be an easy task. Distraction, then. "You said your name was Kouryuu? Bit odd for a human to side with demons, don't you think?"

"Yes, that's my name. And it can't be any different than a demon siding with humans, now can it?" Kouryuu felt like banging his head into a wall. These three were just so irritating for some reason. He wanted to shoot at them already and he'd only been here for what, fifteen minutes at tops? "Now are you going to hand over the scripture or not?"

"This is such bull shit." Gojyo slowly reached into his jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He wished he had some hard liquor on him, too. As he lit a stick, he realized nicotine just wasn't going to cut it today 'cause his hands were still shaking. Though, there was something bitterly ironic about this whole situation that made Gojyo's face twist into a perverted smile. "Why the hell do we get stuck with this sort of luck?"

"Life just likes us, I guess." Hakkai pat Jeep on the hood and waited for him to transform. As soon as he was a safe distance in the air Hakkai turned towards Sanzo and prepared for the worst. This was going to get ugly, one way or another. "Are you sure you want a fight? I'm sure you've heard of our reputation."

Goku swallowed a little at that question. If there was a fight, that meant he'd be fighting Sanzo. Sure, he'd done it before, but Sanzo was never actually trying to kill him. Goku wondered if he could actually hurt Sanzo if necessary. Well, he knew that he could if he had to do it, but that didn't mean that he wanted to. Goku clenched his fists and growled at himself as Sanzo started smirking. Somebody was really gonna' get it if Goku had to beat the shit out of Sanzo, even if he had dreamed about doing it at one point or another.

At Hakkai's words, Kouryuu smiled and reached down to the holster resting on his thigh. Unlatching the top he pulled his favorite little toy out and leaned the barrel against the side of his head and tapped it twice. The little thump of metal against his hair got his blood pumping. This was going to be so much fun. "I think I can handle it."

"Shit!" Gojyo ducked out of the way when the bullets whizzed by his hair. He had barely seen the man move, let alone cock and shoot the gun. What really sucked, is Hakkai didn't see it coming either. Well, that's what Gojyo assumed since his buddy was on the ground with a little red welt on his arm where the bullet grazed him. "Oi! A little warning next time."

"What type of idiot warns his target he's going to shoot at them?" Kouryuu laughed around the next few shots. They dodged them, but he didn't expect any less. They were supposed to be good, Kouryuu would have been disappointed if they were anything less. "Now let's get this over with. I have a date."

"A date?" Goku broke from his thoughts about the current situation at that little line of text. He could never remember Sanzo _ever_ going out with anybody other than Hakkai and Gojyo, and himself of course. Goku ducked and rolled at another trail of shots. Sanzo hated people. The monkey winced when a shot got pretty close to his ear. Sanzo was fast. But come on, Sanzo, on a _date_? "You? A Date? Really?"

"What's that supposed to mean you little maggot?" Kouryuu growled and kept firing a more rapid pace. That cheeky little brat was definitely not winning any pity points from this assassin.

"Maggot?" Gojyo nearly laughed. For some reason instant death was funny again. Sanzo could do that to the concept no matter what sate of mind he was in for some reason, the bastard. "That's a new one, should memorize it."

"Gojyo, not the time." Hakkai spoke softly. This was not a time to be teasing Goku, or Sanzo for that matter. Hakkai made a sprint when Sanzo stopped being a stationary shooter and gave chase. There was something very off about his gun. He dodged another round of three shots and made a roll to come up behind Sanzo. Hakkai nearly smacked himself when he got a good look at Sanzo's gun. Well, that explained where the multiple fire shots were coming from. "Our friend here seems quite serious."

"Damn straight." Kouryuu smirked and dropped his chest down to raise his back leg for a rolling kick. As his heel impacted with Monocle-boy's left ear he grinned and dropped his weight to clear open a shot at the man's chest. He missed. "Shit."

"I think that should be my line." Hakkai chuckled nervously from his position a few feet away. He was suddenly very thankful for demon reflexes as he calmed his breath. Adrenaline was not a friend when trying to take your opponent out alive. Hakkai swung his arm out in an attempt to backhand the man, but he dodged easily. Well, if he could lay a hit at all he'd have trouble taking him in alive. The frustration itself was making him want to just give in and chi blast Sanzo into a tree. It had worked well on Chin Yisou.

"Don't worry fellas, I won't miss next time." Kouryuu smirked and held his gun out in front of him. He pressed a switch on the side and the three watched as the magazine dropped to the ground. Kouryuu had a new magazine clipped into place before they fully registered what had happened.

Goku blinked. Sanzo just reloaded his gun in basically two clicks. A few moments later it clicked in his own brain and Goku pointed an accusing finger. "That's not a revolver!"

"No wonder he had so many damned shots!" Gojyo shouted and joined in pointing fingers. "Not cool, man!"

Kouryuu and Hakkai shared expressions as they stared at the two morons. Hakkai was in disbelief the other two hadn't noticed Sanzo shooting many more than six shots in a row. Hakkai looked at him out of the corner of his eye and noticed Sanzo was shaking for some odd reason. At least the fight had taken a break for a moment. Sanzo was better at this than he was before, either that or the man had always been holding back his true talents. Hakkai wasn't sure he knew which one he wished it was.

"A revolver?" Kouryuu couldn't hold it anymore and burst out loud laughing. His sides were hurting so hard he had to hold them as he fell to his knees. He barely made out the next sentence through the gasping breaths. "You two, thought I was using a revolver?"

It was really weird watching Sanzo laugh so heartily. Gojyo had at one point thought this to be one of those signs of the apocalypse or something. However, Sanzo was laughing at him and that just pissed Gojyo off enough to ignore the abnormal behavior. "Oh shut it! Sanzo uses a Smith and Wesson revolver! Give us a break!"

"Yeah!" Goku chimed in just for the heck of it. The fight had stopped and all of his energy was still ready to give way.

Kouryuu controlled his breathing a bit and stood up. Nuzzling the gun's barrel with his cheek, he grinned. "I wouldn't be caught dead with a piece of shit like that. Your Sanzo's a moron. This baby here is a Colt Automatic, custom just for me."

Hakkai had taken this brief opportunity to inch closer to Sanzo. If he could just get a hit to the back of the neck they could get somewhere. He hoped Gojyo and Goku picked up on what he was doing so they could continue to distract accordingly.

Kouryuu watched as the red head and the kid tensed slightly. He let out a sigh as he ducked the hit headed for his spinal cord. He should have guessed the smart one was going to try something while they took a tiny break. "Nice try buddy, but too slow."

Hakkai felt the blood pooling in his mouth as the fist tightened under his ribcage. Demon abilities or not, he didn't even catch a flinch from Sanzo to hint he'd ram a fist into his gut. Those reflexes were inhuman, and Hakkai inwardly feared for the worst. A bit of blood dribbled down his chin as he breathed out a required retort. "Quite a shot, for a human."

"What'd you expect?" Kouryuu pushed on his fist to send the freak flat on his back. There was a satisfaction in towering over someone that really hit the spot. Kouryuu kicked the demon in the side and smirked when it groaned. "You really think they're going to send a normal human after a group that kills hoards of demons on a near daily basis? How stupid do you think that we are?"

"He took out Hakkai in one hit." Gojyo made sure his scythe was tight in hand. Suddenly this fight wasn't so funny anymore. "Shit."

"You should save the expletives for when you really need them." Kouryuu smiled before breaking into a run and leaving the other man where he landed. Taking out the half-breed shouldn't be too much of a problem. That in mind, Kouryuu took a jump to ready a swift kick for the pretty boy's pretty face.

Gojyo blocked with his weapon when he found a knee headed directly for his head. He growled as he twisted to avoid the immediate punches and kicks that followed, but he couldn't seem to get a counter hit on the bastard blonde. Gojyo was trying to remember any of Sanzo's fighting skills from before, but there was something really different about his fighting now. Gojyo swung his chain out and caught the man by his gun arm by what he'd now consider a stroke of luck. He was too used to gun shots to wince when the shot misfired into the air by the jolt.

"Hold him there, Gojyo!" Goku shouted as he came up from behind. It was creepy how Sanzo's movements were working. The way he twisted his body, or moved in general was so very familiar, yet the fighting style itself was a whole new ballgame. Goku raised his Niyoh-boh and swung hard to give a good solid strike to Sanzo's back. He wanted this fight over, now, before he lost his nerve and ability to fight back.

"What the hell?" Gojyo's eyes widened about two notches as he watched Goku's staff be blocked by Sanzo's forearm. The punk barely winced from the direct blow, just moved about an inch from the force. Gojyo swallowed. That same hit had once broken Kougaiji's arm, and now Sanzo could block it that easily? The distraction also had allowed Sanzo to yank his arm over Goku's staff and pull back hard enough to send the monkey crashing into Gojyo's gut. As if it hadn't had enough punishment in the past few weeks.

Kouryuu tilted his head as he watched the red-head moan and carefully unwind the chain from his arm. Well, that was two out for the count. The last little brat was back on his feet and trying not to be too obvious as he checked if his friend was alright. The blonde rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. This last round was what he was really waiting for, anyway. One-on-one fights were so much more satisfying than massacring whole groups.

"How'd he block the Niyoh-boh?" Goku muttered to himself as he saw his master standing there so calmly. There was only the slightest bruise forming from the strike, but otherwise he looked right as rain.

"I thought I already told you I wasn't normal." The boy looked shocked that Kouryuu had even heard his little private questions. Kouryuu laughed and raised his arm for a flex. "This body was built for taking out punks like you."

"What?"

"I don't even think it's worth explaining, maggot." Kouryuu closed in for the first strike, but the boy dodged just as quickly.

The next few moments went by like a flash as they fought. A kick here, a hit there, a bruise, a coarse word or comment flew in a conundrum of motion. Goku could feel all of the dissatisfaction of the past two weeks poured out into this fight, and Sanzo fought back eagerly it seemed. However, seeing those violet eyes so full of hate directed at him again, and the mocking nature that lined them at the edges caused Goku to get a little sloppy. The boy wasn't able to block the gun butt that rammed him in the eye and sent him flying to the ground.

Kouryuu pointed his gun towards the boy's head. It was time for this fight to be over. "Now, give me the scripture."

"Not a chance." Goku growled and fought the irritation he was feeling at his situation. This was _Sanzo_ he was fighting. Not some stupid demon, or a creepy guy in a dress, or even Kougaiji and the others. This was Sanzo demanding something that belonged to him in the first place, and Goku was keeping it from him. The tiny part of his brain that argued this monster couldn't possibly be his Sanzo was smashed by the one that refused to admit Sanzo could be dead to them for good. "There's no way I'd give it to you!"

"Fine. Then shut up and die."

"I think not!"

"What?" Kouryuu felt the explosion of heat slam into him from in the rear and cursed. As his back arched and the force from the chii blast sent him bowed head first into the dirt, Kouryuu cursed his own sloppiness. He should have killed the other two bastards when he had the chance. For the life of him, Kouryuu couldn't figure out why he hadn't. Pushing himself up slightly he was met with an metal poke hitting him in the chest.

"Hakkai! Gojyo!" Goku shouted as he rushed over to where Sanzo had fallen. Goku had to stop however when a new rain of bullets headed towards his face.

"Oh, sorry." Kouryuu frowned and fingered the mark that damn water sprite had left on his person. He had to figure out where that extra force had come from. They weren't this strong before. "Forgot about you two for a minute."

"It's hard to keep us down, as I'm sure you should have learned from your comrades." Hakkai smiled sweetly as he readied another chii ball. He couldn't have asked for a better shot at his blonde friend and he took advantage of it. Hakkai wanted this over with and Sanzo unconscious. It was amazing what a little motivation could do for your spirits.

A chain whipped past his head and ripped across his shoulder before Kouryuu felt the pain streak the full length down his back. The burns from the chii had made his skin more tender than he had realized. The man knew when he had lost the advantage, and Kouryuu kept his face to the group as he backed up a few feet. He was sure that those other two losers had been down for the count, but here they stood ready and raring to go. There was something about this situation that Kouryuu was missing, and he didn't like it. This called for some time to think things over, and besides, he was late for an important appointment.

"Hey! He's making a run for it." Gojyo shouted as Sanzo made a dart for the opening between him and Hakkai. The man cursed as he tried to make his legs move from the initial shock of the dash. Goku was the first to get his feet moving, no surprise, and Gojyo was sure Hakkai was following along side him as he gave chase on his own. Gojyo held onto his side as he ran and watched the distance increase between him and the monkey. This really sucked.

Hakkai had to stop when Gojyo suddenly stopped moving. As important as it was to catch Sanzo, Gojyo needed help right now. "Are you alright."

"Sorry, think I broke a rip." Gojyo tried a smile. "But you can go after those other two, I'll be fine."

"I think, Hakkai started. "That if any of us can catch him, it would be Goku."

"This is so stupid."

"I can't help but agree." Hakkai mumbled as he looked ahead in the distance. Sanzo seemed to have broken away from the boy's run.

"Damn it!" Goku shouted as he chased the blonde. There was too much space between him and Sanzo. He needed to close it, and tackle the man. Then Hakkai could make him al better again and Goku could go back to be yelled at and being hit with that stupid fan. Sanzo sped up another notch and Goku increased his speed by two. There was no way in hell Sanzo was getting away from him again.

Kouryuu should have guessed they'd be persistent. He rolled his eyes as he reached for a small slot on the back of his belt. Pulling out a few marbles he snuck out of Yaone's lab from earlier he counted. Two should be able to do the trick, if he remembered correctly, that sweet little number packed quite a punch in these things. Kouryuu turned mid-run and tossed the little trinkets straight into the monkey's face.

Goku coughed like mad after the little spheres had exploded. The blast had forced him to stop running and landed him straight in the mud. Goku stood up as quickly as he could, cursing the wet patch of ground he had stumbled into as he went. When the smoke had cleared there was no sign, nor scent lingering of Sanzo to be found. Goku fell to his knees and screamed until his voice shattered.

Hakkai and Gojyo could only watch as the two hobbled up from behind.

-----

"Back so soon?" Dr. Nii swiveled in his chair to see the young man walk through the door. The boy had clearly taken the time for a shower and to change into a bit more casual set of clothing. Nii briefly recognized the khakis for a pair in his closet. Nii would reprimand the boy for going through his drawers later, for now there were more important issues to be discussed. He tapped his monitor and watched the boy through the glare on his glasses. "I told you to take care of them."

"I will. Just not now, I underestimated them so I'll get them the next time." It was sort of a lie, but he was sure his dad couldn't tell. The blonde wasn't quite sure what made him run away from those three, but it couldn't have been because he was too weak to take them. No, it was something else. Kouryuu cleared his thoughts though when he was sure it might start showing on his face and walked over towards his mother. He gave her a peck on the cheek before smiling. Mom was always great for a change in subject. "Hey, Mom. Dad hasn't been too much of a bastard since I've been gone, has he?"

Hwang laughed and tried to keep the bitter edge off of it. "Nope, he's just been his usual aggravating self."

"Should have guessed." Kouryuu pat his favorite brunette on the shoulder twice before reaching over her to grab an apple from a fruit dish.

Nii leaned his head back to watch the ceiling as the boy chewed on an apple bite. He had almost forgotten what it was like to have kids around. "It's no fair when you two double team me like that."

"I blame you for bad parenting. You never taught me how to respect." Kouryuu smirked around another bite of the fruit. Leaning down he poked the screen Mom was staring at with an index finger. "This doesn't look done."

"It's not, I've still got another thirty lines of code to debug." Hwang sighed. Dr. Nii was deciding to give the appearance he was working on the Gyumaoh revival again to appease their Lady. In actuality, it meant he doubled the work of his assistants and installed a new monitor to watch the progress of his latest little toy.

"How long 'til you're done?" Kouryuu nearly pouted and crossed his arms. "You said you'd let me take you out to dinner today."

Hwang controlled her urge to twitch. Playing 'mommy' was a total pain in her ass. She peaked up at the man leaning over her shoulder waiting for her answer. Blonde hair, purple eyes, and a gorgeous build. Maybe dinner wouldn't be too much of a burden. He was better to look at than the stubble covered man in the corner. "Another ten minutes, at most."

"Good." Kouryuu smiled and looked down at the empty apple core in his hand. He set it down in a trash bin and pulled his arms up over his head for a deep stretch.

"If you keep that up I'm going to get jealous." Nii chuckled. "Keeping dear Dr. Hwang away, so cruel. I guess my little honey bunny is my only company after all."

"That rabbit is seriously creepy, Dad." Kouryuu frowned as his father petting the stuffed bunny. Something about it just sent a chill down his spine.

Nii stood up from his seat. "So you've told me."

"Well, it is." Kouryuu avoided looking at the thing as his Dad walked over. He felt a strong grip land on his shoulder and he was forced to look his father in the eyes. Kouryuu told himself he wasn't scared.

"In any case, let's make sure that we do the job right the next time you go out." Nii released his grip slightly and turned it into a quick back pat. Kouryuu didn't answer him, but he took the silence as acceptance after seeing the determined look that developed on his face. Little Kouryuu would do anything for his dear daddy when it came down to it. And that's all that mattered. "And next time, kill them."


	15. Just a Little Down Time

Someone tell me why the muse strikes when I have projects due and should be working on those instead. Anyway, bit of a lapse since the last update and I apologize for that. This chapter comes from me being a closet Sanzo x Lirin fan, and from reading a certain Sanzo x Yaone fic far too much especially now that Hazel and Gat have made their debut.

In any case, enjoy the next chapter and sorry it's a bit short!

Edit- Fixed a few typos. Heh.

**Chapter 14: Just a Little Down Time**

"Hey, gramps." Kouryuu dropped himself down in the chair next to the older demon. It had been a week since his last encounter with the group carrying that scripture thing, but he was still feeling odd about the whole thing. Like there was something pulling at his chest and then digging in tight. The whole ordeal just made his head hurt thinking about it. He kicked his legs out in front of him and leaned back to look at the rafters in the ceiling. If he looked close enough he could see Gyumaoh's head over the wall. "You ever feel unsure about something, to the point where you second guess yourself?"

Wang laughed a little. It seemed Nii's new toy was going to surprise him. It only made the elder demon appreciate the capacities of mind and will even more than he already did. It was another one of those something or others that came with age. Wang looked forward to seeing Nii's face when this boy's new self awareness was more obvious. "Everyday, youngster."

"How do you deal with it?" Kouryuu fiddled with a pencil that was hanging near the edge of the desk and watched it roll a bit. "I know Dad's gotta' be going somewhere with all of this, but I'm not quite sure if I should be doing it. Is this whole revival thing really so important?"

"You going through a rebel stage, I take it?"

"Don't laugh over there," Kouryuu crooked a smile himself at the old geezer. There was something about the elderly that made him more comfortable. "You'll choke or something."

"Glad to know my little adopted grandkid is concerned."

"Oh shove it." Kouryuu pushed off from his seat and turned to face him again. "But your sarcasm is noted, and no, I plan to follow through loyally. I trust Dad, it's bugging me, but I trust him."

"Of course." Wang looked up to see the young man that was worth all the trouble. Even in this pathetic brainwashed state, there was something powerful radiating off of him. And it had nothing to do with Nii's little genetic tweaking. "Stop making that pout of a face, you look like an old man."

"And you would know, wouldn't you?" Kouryuu shook his head slowly and took a breath. He needed a walk. "See you later old man. And um, could you not tell Dad about this?"

"Of course, not a peep to Daddy from me." Wang chuckled and then mumbled more quietly as Kouryuu started to walk away. "I'm pretty scared of him, too."

Kouryuu left the old man to his work and amused chuckles as he wandered across the laboratory to the door. It was stuffy in this little room, and Dad wouldn't mind if he took a peak around the castle. It's not like he hadn't done it a before, anyway. Making sure the lab door was shut tightly behind him, Kouryuu shook his hair out a bit before strolling down the hallway. He received strange stares from the guards, but that was to be expected. There weren't many humans in Houtou Castle, so he probably did stand out. More so because he wasn't wearing a lab coat.

The blonde stretched his arms out a bit as he walked and could feel his face settle into a bored expression. There really wasn't much to do around this place when Dad wasn't barking orders or Mom was making excuses to get away from Dad. He turned down an empty hallway when he remembered the look on Mom's face when Dad said he had learned a new trick. Kouryuu almost felt a smile creep onto his face at the thought of Dad chasing Mom around the lab again, but his thoughts were cut short by a bobbing pony tail behind a bench against the wall.

The bright orange flash of hair swayed a bit before it got the best of Kouryuu's curiosity. Taking a few quiet steps up behind, he found himself staring at none other than Lady Koushuu's little girl on her hands and knees looking all the world like she had lost a contact. Kouryuu leaned over her shoulder and quietly said 'boo' in her ear for the heck of it.

Lirin could hear laughing as she jumped and fell back. The ground squeaked a little when she shoved herself off of it. Lirin turned an angry glare to whoever had been able to sneak up behind her, but it stopped short when she saw baldy face snickering at her. "Baldy Sanzo? What're you doing here?"

"Again with this Sanzo thing. Do I really look that much like him?" Kouryuu rubbed his hair with the flat of his hand as the girl stared at him. "But I was going to ask you the same thing almost, what's the princess doing on the floor?"

Lirin looked at the blonde man in front of her carefully. He sure looked like Sanzo, and he even had Sanzo's eyes. Plus, she wouldn't put it past Sanzo to wear khaki's or skin tight black shirts, but there was no way this was the same guy. He was smiling, not smirking, but really smiling. "Yeah, you look just like him. It's freaky that you sound like him, too."

Kouryuu shoved his hands into his pockets. Well, now Kouryuu had four confirmations that he looked like the Sanzo of the Sanzo Party. Kouryuu wondered if Dad had done that on purpose when he was making him in the lab. It would explain why he randomly chose to make Kouryuu look nothing like his parents at any rate. "Really now?"

"Yeah."

"So, what were you doing?"

"I was looking for a button."

"A button?" Kouryuu shifted his weight as he stood in the hallway and set his eyes towards the ground. The blonde assassin browsed around the tiles for a bit before settling his eyes on a tiny shining object. He smiled a little. "Is it blue?"

"Yeah!" Lirin jumped a little. "Do you see it?"

"It's right there, under your feet."

"Oh! How come I didn't see it!" Lirin grinned as she held it between two claws. This was just what she needed to finish a little gift she was making for Yaone. Yaone had been feeling really lousy since some jerk raided her lab and Lirin wanted to make her feel better. Lirin had even been good enough to stay inside the castle this week! "Thanks so much, mister?"

"Kouryuu." The man smiled a little at the girl. She was kinda cute for something that came from that bitch and her ox of a husband. "And you're, Lirin, right?"

"Yup!" The princess nodded and then got a puzzled look on her face. "How come I've never seen you around before? I think I'd notice a human running around who looked so much like Baldy Sanzo."

"You didn't notice that button."

Lirin narrowed her eyes. "Stop laughing at me!"

Kouryuu couldn't help himself and leaned down and pat her on the head. He may not have been sure why, but there was no question that he liked kids. There was just something raw about them that was more honest. "But you're so cute when you're mad."

"Hey!" Lirin swatted at his hand when he went to ruffle her hair. "It took me forever to get it up in that pony tail! Stop messing with it."

"But I bet it looks better when your hair is down." Kouryuu loved pushing buttons when he could. He must have gotten that form Dad's side of the family. He laughed when he successfully dislodged the band from the girl's hair and the hair spread out around her face. It was all frizzy, but laid flat enough considering how long it had been stuck up on her head. "See, much better, isn't it?"

"Give that back!" Lirin made a jump for the band but the guy just held it up higher. Lirin hated being short.

"Jump for it."

"Meanie!"

"If I'm so mean, than why are you laughing?"

"I said give it!"

Kouryuu let out a huge exhale of air when the girl tackled him in the chest and brought him down to the floor. The older man hadn't been expected that and could feel a tiny ache in his head where it had smacked the floor. He tried to take in a deep gulp of air, but it was hindered as she was sitting on his gut holding up the band triumphantly. She was a strong little bugger for such a light thing. "No fair."

"Hee hee, when you pout you really look like Baldy Sanzo."

Kouryuu leaned up a little on his elbows and watched Lirin slide back a little until her back was flush with his knees. "You must like this Sanzo guy if you keep talking about him."

Lirin blushed a little. "Don't be silly, he's my big brother's enemy even if he is fun to play with."

"So you must love your big brother more than this Sanzo guy, then?" Kouryuu felt weird talking about families. He loved his own more than anything in the world, but there was something about talking about them that created a little ache. Though, the ache in his chest when Lirin pounded a fist into it worked wonders on his instant melancholy mood.

"You better believe it!"

Kouryuu laughed a little before holding himself up a little higher to a better sitting position. He made sure to grab Lirin's hips so she wouldn't fall off and hit her head as he did so. She giggled a little and shoved at his hands as she exclaimed "Your hands are cold!"

Kouryuu smirked and her eyes got really wide in a reaction the blonde was satisfied with. "Then how about I do this!"

Lirin shrieked in laughter as his hands shifted up to clamp around the exposed area of her stomach. He wiggled a few fingers lightly looking for sensitive areas. Now she knew why Yaone was always fussing about her stomach showing! It was a vital weakness! "Stop it! That tickles!"

"Get your hands off of my sister!"

-----

"So, now what do we do?" Gojyo mumbled around the head of his beer bottle. After they somehow managed to drag Goku back to Jeep they had headed for town. Gojyo's plan was to get as smashed as humanly possible and let Hakkai handle it. He was better with the brat anyway, both of them. "Now that Master Sanzo's gone crazy and shit?"

"Gojyo." Hakkai admonished and cradled his own beer bottle. Normally he would have preferred something more refined, but he didn't expect much better could be found in this dump of a bar. Hell, he was glad they had found a place to stay at all. "Please don't talk that way, this is serious and I'd like to get something productive done today since we just been sitting here doing nothing for two now."

Goku huffed into his arms and chewed on an orange rind absently. He had already eaten about ten plates worth of food trying to calm down, but now that he'd run out of food he had to think about Sanzo again. And that just hurt right now. He listened as Gojyo started throwing drunken slurs towards Hakkai and wondered what would become of them all now. Sanzo wasn't acting like himself, Gojyo was depressed and Hakkai was looking desperate. As for Goku, he couldn't decide if seeing Sanzo again soon was a good thing or a bad thing. As much as he wanted to see the monk, he wasn't looking forward to another fight with the man.

"As I was saying," Hakkai cuffed Gojyo behind the ear and waited until the other man turned back to nurse his drink. He then rubbed Goku's shoulder slightly to make sure he was listening. When those little golden eyes peaked up he continued. "At least now we know that Sanzo will be coming after us again. So instead of looking for him, we can now concentrate on what to do when he pays us a visit again."

"Beat the shit out of the bastard?" Gojyo snickered. "Not like we've never wanted to before."

"Shut up, Gojyo." Goku mumbled. "As true as that was, just please shut up."

Hakkai figured speaking before a fight could break out would be in everyone's best interest. "We'll have to at least do half of that. If we don't knock him out, he'll run away again. Restraining him is our only option if we want to find some way to get him better."

Gojyo looked up again. "How are we supposed to do that? Hit him on the head really hard?"

"Something like that, we're not even completely sure how this happened in the first place." Which was also bothering Hakkai. He prayed that whatever this was, it was reversible. The alternative scared Hakkai and made him sick to his gut. He was sure Gojyo and Goku felt the same.

"Hey, Hakkai."

"Yes, Goku?"

"What if we," there was a pause in Goku's voice that hung in the air. "What if we can't turn him back to normal? What if he's like all the demons with the minus wave?"

Hakkai smiled slightly realizing they were all on the same wavelength of thought. "I'm not sure, but if he is unreachable, than well."

"We kill him." Gojyo mumbled with the rim of slightly dust covered bottle kissing his lips.

-----

Their fun was cut short by the furious shout that had carried down the hallway. Kouryuu looked over to see Kougaiji snarling in their direction. Yaone and Dokugakuji were flanking him. Kouryuu looked down to see his hands on Lirin's hips as she sat in his lap and it suddenly clicked why Big Brother resembled a snarling tiger. He slowly put his hand on the ground as Lirin waved timidly. Dad was going to kill him if he found out he had gotten into a fight with Gyumaoh's brat.

"Now get away from her." Kougaiji was confused about why Sanzo was in the hallway, but he really didn't care right now. He just wanted him to get the hell away from his sister. "Lirin, get the hell away from that pervert."

"Pervert?" Lirin echoed and looked back to Kouryuu. He was sitting kinda rigid and was looking at her brother funny. She didn't really get why he was scared, Kougaiji didn't attack someone unless they were evil or did something. She turned back to her brother with her cutest pout. "What are you talking about? Me and Kouryuu were just playing."

"I don't care what he called it, just get out of his lap." Kougaiji could practically feel his teeth breaking, considering how hard they were grinding together. And why did she call him Kouryuu? Why was the priest here? Kougaiji slammed his foot down. "Now."

Lirin sighed and jumped out of Kouryuu's lap, allowing him to stand up behind her. "I guess that means we can't play anymore."

"Something like that." The human took in the glares of the three demons who had stalked closer since Lirin had started moving off of his lap. This was not going to be a fun confrontation. "Hey, chill out and stop giving me that look. I didn't do shit to her."

"Lady Lirin, I think it would be best if you came over here." Yaone started quietly motioning the princess to come over. She noticed Dokugaku was tense beside her as well.

"What are you doing here?" Dokugaku finally spoke up and pointed a finger towards the blonde. "And what were you doing with Lirin?"

Kouryuu had to raise an eyebrow. Sure he knew it had looked suspicious a few minutes ago, but it should have been clear by now he hadn't done anything. Kouryuu tilted his head sideways and turned his eyes to Kougaiji. "What's with the third degree? Seriously, you'd think we weren't on the same side."

"Same side?" Kougaiji couldn't have heard that right.

"Yeah, you know, reviving Gyumaoh." Kouryuu didn't like where this was going. He was sure Dad had at least told Kougaiji's step mom about his little missions. Why wouldn't she tell the prince about them? Kouryuu's hands found their way to his waist as he continued on. This had to do something with Kougaiji not getting along with Dad then. "I know you and my old man don't get along to well, but really, I'm not stupid enough to molest Gyumaoh's daughter."

"Your old man?" Dokugakuji was the first to speak up in response to that statement. He was getting more confused by the second. What did Sanzo's dad have to do with anything? For what they knew, Sanzo's parents were dead.

"Dr. Nii." Kouryuu stared straight at the group in front of him. It wasn't like it was a big secret that he was a kid of the laboratory. "I've been working the Sanzo party mission on the side for you guys for like two weeks. Didn't Lady Koushuu tell you?"

"No." Kougaiji grit his teeth together and could feel the pricks of his claws from where they were digging into his palms. "She neglected to mention that little fact."

"Oh," Kouryuu made a note to bring that up with his folks later. It wouldn't have been good if Kougaiji and crew and showed up when he was fighting with the Sanzo party. They might mistake him for one of the bad guys. That demon summon of his was a nasty customer to deal with. Kouryuu scratched behind his head and chuckled a little. "Well, now you know."

Yaone nodded quietly as Lirin shuffled her way over. It was most unusual for something this big to have been going on without notice. She took this moment to look Sanzo over and pondered about what have happened to him. It was clear he still thought he was Kouryuu, but he was all grown up now. Her eyes followed his body from the head down until she saw his belt. Specifically, she saw the little bombs hanging off the back of his belt. "You!"

"Me?" Kouryuu pointed to himself as the woman started stalking towards him. He twitched when she grabbed a hold of his belt and yanked his hips up. "Listen, sweetie, if you wanna' do something like that then there's better places we could go."

"These are my bombs!" There was no mistaking the craftsmanship. These came out of her lab and this man was the culprit. Yaone was positive by the end of today 'Kouryuu' wouldn't be able to do 'something like that' ever again as long as he lived. "You were the one who raided my lab!"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Kouryuu looked up trying to remember the event. That had been a few days ago if he remembered correctly. "Dad said I could borrow some stuff from it. I wouldn't have made such a mess, but I was in a rush and it was all so disorganized. Took me forever just to find these."

"Disorganized? Disorganized? Why I 'outta! Dokugaku! Put me down!"

"Calm down, Yaone." Dokugakuji winced when she kicked him in the shin. It hurt, but it would be better than her starting a fight with Sanzo at the moment. Who knew what the psycho doctor had did to him in the time he'd been missing. Dokugakuji also didn't like the bad feeling he was getting about all this. Anything with Nii and Lady Koushuu behind it could not end well for anyone involved. "You can get him back some other way later when we know more about what's going on."

Kouryuu took a couple steps back from the raging woman as the swordsman tried to calm her down on the other side of the hallway. Kouryuu couldn't for the life of him figure out what she was so mad about. "What got her going?"

"Her lab is important to her." Kougaiji started as he walked up to Sanzo, Lirin trailing behind. He held a hand to keep her from getting too close. "Never go in there again."

"No promises." Kouryuu smirked. Red may have been a prince, but he didn't give the orders around here. Besides, she was kinda cute, and there was more than one reason to sneak into a private lab. Just so Kougaiji was on the same wavelength, Kouryuu sent him a wink.

"You'll regret it if you do." Kougaiji turned swiftly and grabbed Lirin's shoulder firmly. Nii had clearly rubbed off on Sanzo and that mean he didn't deserve more of a response to such lewd behavior. "Let's go, we're leaving."

"Bye Kouryuu! We'll play later, okay?" Lirin waved happily as she was dragged down the hall by her big brother. She giggled when he waved back and jumped out of the way when Yaone made a dive to get her bombs back. Dokugakuji of course grabbed her and she followed them down the hallway with Yaone complaining every step of the way. Things were going to be fun with Kouryuu around, Lirin just knew it.

-----

"I'm not seeing the results that I want, Nii." Lady Koushuu snarled as she felt the man's hands creep up around her waist from the back. They were cold and she sometimes wondered if Nii had any blood running in his veins at all. "We don't have another scripture like you said that we would. So don't think you're getting lucky."

"Everything takes a little patience, my lady." Nii chuckled into her neck. She was wearing her white kimono again, the one that just begged to be stained again and again. "My darling little boy will come through, so no worries now."

"Besides," Koushuu smirked as she stroked his thumb absently and pulled his hands farther to her sides to set on her hips. "Aren't you cheating on your little wife right now?"

"If you mean our dear Dr. Hwang, I do believe she's filing for a divorce, anyway."

"Like you'd ever sign it." Koushuu cold feel her hair falling out of its bun after the weights had lifted from her thighs and she knew she was going to lose again tonight. That was alright, it wasn't every man who could care less if the name you were calling wasn't his. "You're not the type to let things that belong to you go easily."

"I keep track of what's mine."

"And you have a nasty little habit of making sure things go your way."

"Which is why my little Kouryuu is going to come through for us. He's going to be my perfect son."

"And if he fails?"

"I'll erase him and start him over again."

"Just like that? No parental guilt?"

"Coming from you who would sacrifice her own daughter?"

"Touché."


	16. Business

I've noticed no matter how many times I read through a chapter I never notice the typos until after it's posted. Go figure. Anyway, the ending of this fiction is approaching so everyone can expect about 2-3 more chapters of RK goodness. I thank everyone for reading along so far and I hope that everyone will stay tuned for the conclusion of Raising Kouryuu. Thank you for reading and reviews! Enjoy.

**Chapter 15: Business**

Gojyo rubbed his cheek as he stared at the ceiling of their hotel room. He was sure that the flesh had turned to a lovely shade of black now that it had been a day or two, and it was definitely still tender. The part that bugged him most was it made his two scars stand out even more against the color of his skin. And it happened after he opened his big mouth and let the statement slip about killing Sanzo. And really, Gojyo thought as he rolled over onto the non-injured side, he should have known better. Even a moron would have known the kid would have been pissed off at that sort of statement. Hell, Goku was probably pissed because he knew it was true more than any of them.

Still, didn't mean the brat had to hit him so damn hard.

Gojyo scratched behind his ear as he listened to the small creaks coming from the room next door. At least someone tonight was having a good time. Unlike the rest of them, simmering in their own pathetic angst. He wondered if the three of them really could kill Sanzo as easily as he had suggested it. Not that it would be hard, the guy was human after all. Stronger than he was before, sure, but still human if that last fight had proved anything. The three of them working together could take him down, but then again: it's not a question of 'could' but 'would,' isn't it?

"How are you feeling, Gojyo?"

"Shit," Gojyo jumped from his thoughts at the intrusion of the familiar, calm voice. He turned up to see his roommate peaking in through the hotel room door with that quirky smile still on his face. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Hakkai."

"I'm sorry," Hakkai chuckled a bit before closing the door behind him. Gojyo looked like a wounded puppy curled up on the bed like that. It seemed he was still tending to his wounds from the earlier incident. "But I did knock before I came in."

"Sorry man. I just can't think today."

"I doubt many could with the noise coming from next door." Hakkai looked up to the wall as a slight rhythmic pounding hit the wall.

"Yup we'll blame it on that."

"Though I doubt it is the main source of your latest depressed mood."

"What was your first clue?"

"The bruises on your face can tell me that much on their own. I can hardly imagine what you were thinking back then."

"Just putting it out there. It's true, isn't it?"

"Yes, I suppose it is in more ways than one. You've always been frank like that, Gojyo." Hakkai sighed and wrung a hand in his pant leg slightly. "Not to mention, I almost think Sanzo would want us to kill him in a situation like this."

"Yeah, but he's got a death wish anyway, so what he wants really doesn't matter."

Hakkai laughed a little as he sat down next to Gojyo on the bed. He took the ice pack he had been holding and gently laid it on the bruise forming between the man's eyes and his ear. "I'm sure he'd shoot you for that statement, but really, you could have brought it up when Goku wasn't around."

"He needed to hear it the most."

"Let's just make sure he isn't the one to do the job."

"Or see it." Gojyo shuttered a little and told himself it was from the sudden chill of the ice. "You saw him freak out just talking about it, what do you think he'll do if Lord Sanzo actually kicks the bucket?"

"I think Goku is stronger than what we're implying. I think he hit you because you were insensitive, not that he couldn't handle the thought of killing Sanzo for his own good."

"Maybe. Ouch! That's cold you bastard!" Gojyo ripped the ice pack from out of his lap and threw it back at the one-eyed evil person. "What's your deal?"

"I was bored?" Hakkai smiled and chastised himself slightly. That little prank was just a tad beneath him, not that he regretted it. "I'm sorry, I've had enough of this depressed atmosphere for one night. For this lifetime, actually."

"You and me both. Shit, how'd we end up so pathetic?"

"I'm not quite sure when that happened, my friend." Hakkai tilted his head back in a deep stretch and felt his bones crack. The inactivity was causing unnecessary stress. "Why don't we take your bruised face and pride and get smashed until we can't see straight?"

"Hakkai, that is the best thing you've said all day." Gojyo pushed his legs into the air to swing them over his demon buddy and down onto the floor. Standing he stretched as far as he could reach. "What about the monkey?"

"He's underage."

"You moron, I mean what's he going to do while we're off getting wasted?"

"I suppose the same thing he's been doing since we lost our beloved leader." Hakkai shrugged.

"Whatever man." Gojyo slapped Hakkai on the back and tossed an ice pack he'd been holding over his shoulder. It hit the ground with a 'thunk' and the ice splattered all over the floor. Hakkai sent him a discerning look, but Gojyo ignored it. "I wonder if I could play the pity angle with these bruises of mine and get a few chicks while I'm at it. What do you think Hakkai? I tackled a demon and escaped with my life!"

"Only you, Gojyo."

"What? It's a good idea!"

"Sure, sure."

"And then I can get revenge for the guy next door!"

"Are you sure he isn't revenge for all the times you brought a lady home?" Hakkai laughed as his friend scowled. "A bit of karma perhaps?"

"Sometimes you're a real bastard, you know that?"

Hakkai simply laughed and led the way out of the room. His own guilty pleasure was calling for him from a bar down the street. Thank the many heavens for wine.

-----

Kougaiji stormed down the hallway towards his step-mother's chambers. He was going to get some answers to this little Sanzo issue once and for all and she was going to stop avoiding him. When he reached the room he noticed that it was shut tight which could only mean that she had a visitor. Kougaiji slammed both doors open and Nii would just have to pull up his knickers and deal with it because this prince was pissed. "Koushuu!"

"Well if it isn't our dear little prince, what can we do for you?" Nii drawled as he looked over his Lady's shoulder as she moaned softly. It was just like Kougaiji to act so rashly, and things were just getting fun, too. "We would have greeted you at the door but as you can see we're a little tied up at the moment."

"I don't have any time for your games." Kougaiji knew that the image of his god-forsaken step-mother and Nii twisted together like that would be burnt behind his eyelids for the rest of his life, but sacrifices had to be made. He held his ground firmly as he continued. "Tell me why Sanzo is here and saying he's on our side."

Lady Koushuu was not amused. She did not need her brat of a step son busting in on her quality time alone screaming about plans that didn't involve him. Her next words were throaty as she attempted to maintain her cool as Nii continued with his own business. "What's there to explain, Kougaiji dear? You failed and Nii produced someone better for the job."

"It's my job and you have no right!"

"As I said, you've not given me any results worth looking at twice. I found someone better." Koushuu felt her lipstick stretch along with her lips into the perfect smirk. "And I have every right to do as I please. Who better to get the scriptures than a Sanzo? It's rather poetic, don't you agree?"

"What the hell did you do to him anyway?" Kougaiji grit his teeth as he attempted to keep his temper in check. Being irrational wouldn't help him in the slightest in this situation and he was stupid to have burst into the room unprepared. This was all Sanzo's fault for that incident with Lirin. It still had him writhing.

"It's not really any of your concern, my little prince." Nii chuckled as he snuck his hand down Lady Koushuu's back. He wasn't one to be shy in front of an audience. Maybe if he was obvious enough the prince would leave on his own, or prove to be a voyeur. One of the two was sure to be revealed, and either would be interesting data to record. "But I can assure you it's quite different from your own little time under the knife. He's no bunny prince the second, so rest assured your title hasn't been taken."

"You bastard."

"Sticks and stones, little bunny prince."

Kougaiji watched in disgust as Dr. Nii continued playing with his mother's skin as the conversation continued. Her little moans were making him nauseous and he knew he'd have to lose this fight to the other man. There was only so much of the vulgarity before him that he could stomach. "Mark my words, if he gets in my way I'll kill him."

"Of course." Nii chuckled. "But don't be surprised if he's harder to handle than the Sanzo you know. My Kouryuu is quite the contender."

"You've been warned."

Lady Koushuu shifted slowly into a better sitting position as her beloved's first son stormed out of the room. The tiny blush on his face made her grin, but not as much as the door slamming with so much force. "He's too easy to manipulate to be my beloved's son."

"He just has a short temper." Calloused hands moved their way lower and lower down the exposed skin. "He'll fume and in the end not do anything. It's a short fuse."

"So you're not worried about your little toy?"

"I doubt he does anything unless Kouryuu instigates it." Nii laughed. "And even then that might be fun to watch. The prince is outmatched."

Koushuu leaned into the touch and imagined Gyumaoh's strong grip circling her waist and his heated breath traveling down the length of her neck. It's the only way she could stomach being touched by the monster lying with her. "You may be right about that. Soon, we'll have the scripture and my beloved Gyumaoh will be revived."

"Indeed, but for right now we'll leave business for another time." Nii chuckled. "Daddy only gets to play for so long before Mommy gets lonely."

"This family thing you've set up is almost creepy."

"But efficient."

"And that's the best way to run things."

"Indeed it is."

-----

"Hey!"

Goku jumped and tumbled down a few feet before catching his balance from the sudden shout in his ear. Growling and trying to pull himself up straight from the roof he turned to find out who had caught him off guard. His grip on the roofing tiles slipped a little as they were still wet from the rain earlier that day. What he found was coming face to face with a certain demon child. "Lirin?"

"Where's baldy Sanzo?" Lirin snickered as Goku composed himself. She hadn't come to visit in a long time and she had missed this sort of fun. Baldy Sanzo and his friends were always so entertaining. "I got something to tell him!"

"Sanzo?" Goku stood up from the roof to face the hyper active princess. The name of his master and friend got his complete attention. The idea of getting information that might help him find Sanzo sent Goku's heart into slight palpitations. "What are you talking about?"

"I wanted to come play with him because I had something really neat to tell him, but I can't find him anywhere." Lirin shrugged. "I figured asking you would be the best way to find him."

Goku considered the situation for a minute and hesitated a bit in drilling Lirin for information. If he played his cards right, he might be able to use her dragon and actually go get Sanzo. From the sound of things, it seems like Kougaiji and everybody else might not know about what happened to Sanzo or she wouldn't be asking for him. Goku needed to be patient. "What'd you want to tell him?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but there's this guy back at the castle who looks and sounds just like him!" Lirin giggled at the memory. Her big brother didn't seem to like Kouryuu at all, but Lirin still thought he was fun to play with. She'd snuck out to meet him a few more times after they first met and he always had some fun game to play. "Only he's a lot of fun and has a sense of humor. He's way more fun than baldy!"

Patience had decided not to grace Goku with her presence and Goku found himself losing his self control before he could think twice. "You've seen Sanzo! Tell me everything right now!"

"No! I'm looking for him! I haven't found him yet." Lirin huffed. "And no need to shout at me either. This guy just looks and sounds like him. There's no way this guy is baldy Sanzo, which is why I want them to meet! I think that would be too much fun! It'd be like twins or something."

"No! It's Sanzo! Dr. Nii or something messed with his head and made him all funny!" Goku was near pleading at this point and took a step up the roof towards the other girl. "Please! You have to take me to him right now!"

"So, that guy I met was really baldy Sanzo?" Lirin took a step back. Baldy Sanzo smiling and laughing? Flirting with Yaone when she came to get Lirin or playing in the doctor's lab? There was no way that could be right. "That's so weird."

"We don't have time for this, you can think about it later!" Goku thrust out a hand and grabbed Lirin's shoulder. "I'm begging you. I want to make sure he's okay."

"He was fine." Lirin winced a little as Goku's grip tightened on her shoulders. "If that was Sanzo, he was happier than I've ever seen him."

Goku flinched at that statement and could feel his temper rising. There was no way Sanzo was happier with that maniac than he was with the rest of them. Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku. Those were Sanzo's friends, not some loser with a child fetish. Goku felt his hands twisting deeper into Lirin's shoulders of their own accord. Sanzo needed to come home now before there wasn't any hope left of reminding him just where he came from and who he was. "Take me to Houtou Castle."

"I can't do that."

"It wasn't a question." Goku growled. "You're going to take me to Sanzo!"

"Let go! You're hurting me!" Lirin kicked Goku in the gut and jumped back a few feet. Goku had a scary look in his eyes and the young princess didn't think it suited him. "I told you I can't do that! Kougaiji would get really mad!"

"I don't care!" Goku's fingers itched as they were tempted by the notion to withdrawal the Nyoi-boh. He'd make Lirin take him there by force if he had to. Nothing was going to stop him. "I have to save Sanzo!"

"No!" Lirin needed to talk to her brother about this. There was no way what Goku was saying was true. But then again, Kouryuu did resemble Sanzo quite a bit. Lirin was confused and decided to make a run for it. "I'm leaving!"

"Get back here!" Goku gave chase when Lirin jumped from the roof and made a dash for it. She wasn't getting away.

The younger girl ran as fast as she could down the street but realized Goku was close behind her. She'd have to lose him before she went for Sparky or there was a good chance that he'd capture the dragon too. Lirin forced her feet to move faster on the pavement as she heard his footsteps echoing loudly behind her. For the first time, Lirin was scared of her friend.

"Man, I'm sloshed. Were do you put it all, Haa'kkai?"

Lirin looked up when she heard a familiar drunken slur. Just up ahead coming of a bar were the other two friends of baldy Sanzo. That guy Yaone liked and Dokugaku's little brother would help her! "Hey!"

"Is that Ms. Lirin?" Hakkai looked up as he heard the energetic shout. Lirin was running at them full force with a frightened expression on her face. "What could have possibly scared Lirin so badly?"

"Got me." Gojyo hiccupped and leaned on Hakkai's shoulder. Not a single girl had looked his way all night and the liquor only made him more depressed. Why did he keep getting drunk again?

"Help me!" Lirin shouted as she ducked behind Hakkai and shoved her face into his shirt. She hated being scared and acting so weak, but there was just something vicious about the other boy. "Goku's gone crazy."

"Goku?"

"Don't let her go!" Goku shouted as he came to a sudden halt in front of his two friends. They'd have to help him out. Goku's breathing was heavy as he continued. "She's seen Sanzo!"

Hakkai stared at the ragged boy pointing a menacing finger at the girl trembling behind him. He didn't like where this situation was going. "Is that true, Ms. Lirin?"

"I'm not sure! I've met a Kouryuu who looked a whole bunch like baldy Sanzo, but he acted totally different. I came here to tell baldy Sanzo about it but then Goku went all crazy and stuff."

"Kouryuu?"

"Yeah! He said his name was Kouryuu and he played with me."

"Goku, did you explain to her what happened?" Hakkai looked up and tried to shift Gojyo's weight slightly to a more comfortable position. The other man was still holding tightly to the last bottle of wine the owner had let them walk out with. "And why does she look so scared."

"I told her it was Sanzo but she didn't believe me! So I told her to take me to Houtou Castle but she ran." Goku was shaking with the adrenaline that was coursing through his body. He need to hurt something and soon.

"It looks to me like you tried to ruff the kid up." Gojyo slurred.

"I wish I had! She's helping that jerk keep Sanzo away!" Goku shouted.

Hakkai realized that they were starting to become a bit of a side show for the people in the street. Lirin wasn't helping much by drawing even more attention to them due to her demon status, though Goku looking like he was going to go berserk didn't help much either. "Why don't we take this back up to our rooms and discuss it civilly."

"We don't have time! We need to get Sanzo now!"

"Goku."

The word was a request and a command contained in a single breath. Goku lowered his head and gave up the argument. Hakkai nodded at the consent and turned to ask Lirin to follow him to their hotel. Goku dragged his feet behind them and all the while could feel his anger still smoldering in his heart. The conversation had better be a fast one.

-----

"I'd suggest washing your eyes out with soap, but considering what you saw you might actually do it." Dokugakuji laughed a little as Kou banged his head in a corner. Seeing that bitch and the psycho getting it on couldn't have been pleasant.

"It might make me feel better." Kougaiji rubbed his head and resigned his pride for accepting yet another loss into his resume. "Remind me never to do that again."

"Right, door is shut keep the hell away." Dokugakuji nodded and patted his lord on the back. "I'm impressed you haven't vomited yet, so points for you."

"Oh shut up."

Yaone smiled a little as she listened to her lord and Dokugaku converse from the doorway. She'd have to ask for the details later, but Yaone had to frown when she remembered why she was there. "Excuse me, Lord Kougaiji?"

"What is it Yaone?" The young prince looked up from his laughing swordsman to his favorite apothecary.

"Have you seen Lady Lirin?" Yaone sighed. "She's been so good for the past few months about running off and I can't seem to find her anywhere. I figured she might be with you or Dokugaku."

"No, she's not with me."

"Oh dear. I wonder where she could have gone? I wonder if she's with Mr. Kouryuu." Yaone paused. "She has been to visit him more often lately."

"What?" Kougaiji snapped. "She's been doing what?"

"Oh! No worries. I'm always with her when she visits and he never does anything." Yaone blushed. "Well, to Lady Lirin anyway."

"I'm going to kill him."

"My lord?" Yaone questioned as Kougaiji began to fume all over again. "Shouldn't we find Lirin first before jumping to conclusions?"

"Yes, you're right. I'll go down to the stables and see if Sparky is missing." Kougaiji sighed and stomped out of the room. He was sure Dokugakuji and Yaone would follow behind later.

"At least that got his mind off his earlier trauma." Dokugaku laughed. "He's so overprotective."

"What trauma, Dokugaku?" Yaone asked. She had been looking for Lirin all day so she hadn't had time to see what her two friends had been up to.

"He saw Koushuu doing it with Nii."

"My poor Lord. That would haunt anyone."

"Tell me about it!" Dokugakuji let out a hardy laugh and gave Yaone a pat on the back. "Let's go get him before some poor sap sets him off and he sets a summons beast on them."

-----

"You wanted to see me, old man?" Kouryuu asked as he peaked into the main lab room. His mom was typing on the computer with her usual scowl plastered on her face, and Grandpa was on the other side of the chess board, opposite from his father. The good doctor, had an amused look on his face that turned serious when Kouryuu took the final steps into the room. Kouryuu swallowed a little as those spectacled eyes traced down his figure.

"Yes, it's time for you to finish the mission I gave you." Nii moved the knight on the board in classic 'L' fashion to take down one of Wang's rooks. The older demon had been boasting earlier that he might win this game. Nii had no choice now but to crush him mercilessly. "Since you failed the last time."

"As reported, I underestimated them. I won't fail this time and I will get the scripture you need."

"That's what I like to hear from my beloved son." Nii smiled as Wang pondered over the pieces on the board. Games, like life, needed to be handled delicately and with thought behind them. Everything needed to be set up in advance and in preparation for the moves to come. You needed to figure out your opponents move before they even knew it themselves. "But before you leave, tell me something."

"Yes?" Kouryuu tried to force the knot in his throat down. His father's eyes had a chill gathering around them that would make ice look warm. He was the only man that could get him to feel like he was two feet tall.

"Do you love your father?"

Kouryuu paused and all his anxiety was replaced with confusion. That was a question he hadn't seen coming. "Of course I love you."

"Even if I'm not your real father? Even if I made you right here in this lab to be what I wanted you to be?" Nii chuckled as Wang dropped the piece he was holding in shock. Even his favorite toy Hwang had to stop what she was doing to stare at him. Nii moved a pawn to take out one of the old demon's knights.

"Yes." Kouryuu's answer was without hesitation. "Even if these feelings are artificial, it doesn't change the fact that I feel them. I love Mom, and I love Grandpa. I love this family and I'll protect it, which means that I love you, too."

"Such a long winded answer, Kouryuu. It doesn't seem to suit you." Nii licked his lips as Wang moved his next piece.

Kouryuu blushed a little and started feeling a tad out of place in his own skin. Those words dripped so easily off of his tongue, but he couldn't help but feel that they weren't meant for his father, but yet they could only have been for his father. "I guess, is that all you wanted to know?"

"Would you do anything for me?"

"What? Yes, you know I would." Kouryuu scowled a little as the man continued to play chess while questioning the boy's loyalties. It pissed him off a little. "What's with the third degree, anyway? It's like you don't trust me."

"Would you follow me anywhere I go?"

"Yes! I'd follow you anywhere." The younger man narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. "Why are you asking questions you already know the answers to?"

Dr. Nii smiled slowly as the boy turned to leave the room in the predictable huff. He could see Hwang and Wang staring at him from their respective places in the room. Wang had somehow managed to get his king in a check. Well, that just would not do.

The blonde raised his arm in a wave as he walked away from his family. It was to be expected, he loved his family but man did they have issues. He'd deal with these weird events after he completed his assignment. "I'm going now."

"Kouryuu."

"Something else to add, Dad?" The former Sanzo came to a halt at the deadly silence that surrounded his name being called. Even the computers seemed to have hushed themselves at the beck of that venomous voice that he loved and hated all in the same breath.

"If you don't kill them," Nii stood and jammed the cigarette butt into the top of the table. The ashes smoldered and the lingering smoke hung in the air. "Don't bother coming back."


	17. Not an Option

Sorry this chapter is so short, and so very late. It's so close to the end that writer's block has smacked me into the face. sigh On the bright side, I made myself feel better and added in some cute Hwang x Nii moments. Yay! And now that this chapter is posted, I can work on the tag fic, which is also late. Heh. Thanks fo reading and reviewing and I hope you hang around for the last few chapters!

**Chapter 16: Not an Option**

"Spying on your little brat again?" Wang chuckled as he leant over the doctor's shoulder. "You'd think you didn't trust him or something."

"That so?" Nii smiled as he crossed his hands under his chin. Kouryuu was currently on route to confront his friends. Though, the little bout the rest of the Sanzo party was having with Lirin was fairly entertaining in its own right. The excitement of the meeting of his boy with the others was more than enough to keep Nii glued to his chair.

"Then what else would it be?"

"I just think it's entertaining to watch."

"Ah, well watching is a fun hobby."

"An old man like you would know, ne?" Nii chuckled.

"I'm not that old." Wang rubbed the back of his balding head. Maybe it wasn't quite the truth, but it's not like Nii was all that honest either. "But I won't deny being a spectator at heart."

"Then be sure to stick around and watch the show." Nii watched the old man from the corner of his eye. "I'll be sure to make it good."

-----

"Now, let me get this straight." Gojyo blew out a small stream of smoke from the side of his mouth. "You've been playing with Sanzo all week?"

"Well, if this Kouryuu guy really is baldy Sanzo, than yes." Lirin sighed and tapped the tiny teacup that was in front of her. Hakkai had made her some cocoa but she wasn't exactly up for drinking it right now. Things had been tense in the room ever since they arrived and it was making her agitated. "Though I'm still having a hard time believing they're the same person. He's totally different. The only thing they've got in common is looks. And maybe his voice, only it sounds happier, lighter maybe?"

"That is interesting. I can believe that he does seem quite different, but we're quite certain that he is indeed our Sanzo." Hakkai leaned forward at the table and considered refilling his own cup of tea. Gojyo was smoking like an industrial tower again and Goku was fuming in a corner on the floor. The smoke coming from his ears was competing with Gojyo's Hi-Lites. Hakkai was fairly certain the boy was just waiting for any excuse to explode on everyone. That never bode well when attempting to entertain company. Hakkai held in the sigh that was begging to break free. "It seems he was kidnapped from us by a Dr. Nii? Could you maybe elaborate on that?"

"I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to tell you stuff about that." Lirin huffed. Sometimes it really sucked to be friends with your enemies. She sort of wanted to help them out, but there was no way she could betray her big brother! Her mom, sure no problem. But not Kougaiji. "Maybe I can help a little though. Kouryuu said that creepy doctor Nii is his daddy and something about that high strung lady who's always chasin' me around being his mommy."

"Well, that complicates things, doesn't it." Gojyo sighed. So not only was he brainwashed, but they were going to deal with family issues. That pretty much guaranteed things were going to get ugly. Gojyo shoved his cigarette butt into the empty can of beer sitting in front of him and listened to the 'plunk' as it hit those remaining few drops in the bottom. He was getting a nasty feeling about this whole escapade. "Daddy" huh? Talk about Ginkaku and Kinkaku all over again. "But are you sure you can't tell us anything else? Like a faster way to get to that darn castle."

"I already told you that I can't! My big brother would totally get mad at me for something like that!"

"We understand, Lirin. I am thankful for what you have told us so far though. Is there perhaps a way though you could convince your brother to see us, then?" Hakkai smiled softly at the younger girl. "He would probably be the best person to ask for help and more appropriate for permission to receive information."

"Maybe, but I doubt if he'll help." Lirin drew her brows together and hummed slightly. After a moment of thinking she started to giggle slightly. "But then again, he doesn't seem to happy to have Kouryuu around the castle anyway. Big Brother's always yelling at him and losing his temper. He might just help you get rid of him."

"Hey, that's a good point." Gojyo smiled a little. "I'm also getting the feeling Prince boy doesn't like ol' Nii too much either."

"Yes, so it might be the best option to wait and talk to him. I'm sure that we can come to an understanding." Hakkai nodded in agreement. "Lirin, thank-you very much. Would it be too much to ask to tell your brother we'd like to see him?"

"Yeah! I can tell him that!"

Goku growled under his breath as the others chatted oh so casually and happily. This was so stupid! They had a way to find Sanzo and they weren't doing anything! Lirin had a dragon and knew the way to Houtou Castle. They were stronger and could easily force her to take them there, but no. Hakkai had just served her tea for goodness sake. And this little monkey king had finally had enough. His knuckles were turning white from the grip on his knees. "This is such bullshit!"

Hakkai turned his head back towards to the youngest of their group at the sudden shout. He had a feeling things had just turned for the worst. Well, it's not as if he wasn't expecting it. "Goku? Are you alright?"

"What is wrong with you guys, Hakkai?" Goku shoved himself off of the creaking wooden floor to point maliciously at Lirin. It was too hot in the room. "Why are you just calmly accepting this! If she won't tell us, than we should just force her too!"

"Hey, chill out, monkey." Gojyo stood up slowly. Just in case. 'Twas never a good idea to move quickly around rabid animals, ya' know. "The little lady can't talk about it, you should know that. We're not exactly on the same side, you know? Give her a break."

"That's not the point!" Goku screamed and let his frustration out on the table. Dishes and glass flew everywhere as the table hit the floor. Little pieces of shattered wood knocked up against his cheeks from the force, but Goku really couldn't care. He could taste the tiny stream of blood in his mouth and licked it away. "This might be our only chance to help him and you're just sitting there!"

"What's wrong with Goku?" Lirin asked quietly. She swallowed a little and looked out the corner of her eyes at the other two in the room. Both Hakkai and Gojyo were looking tense and Goku was looking all scary again. That couldn't be good. "Why is he acting this way?"

"He's stressed, kid." Gojyo sighed and slowly reached for his Hi-Lites. He needed another stick already. "Give him a break."

"It's not stress, you stupid water sprite! I'm pissed off!"

"That's quite enough, Goku."

Goku's breath was heavy, but he turned to Hakkai none the less. "It's not enough. This isn't good enough."

"I understand that you're worried for Sanzo, but breaking the table and hurting your friends will not get him back any faster." Hakkai kept his voice level even though his own temper was rising slowly. He had almost had enough of this childish behavior from their youngest member.

"You clearly don't understand anything at all if you're just going to let her leave without any information!" Goku's voice was shuddering by the emotions lacing them and the sheer force behind it. It was if he wanted to cry but just couldn't find the effort. "It's like you don't care about it all!"

"That's not true!" Hakkai slapped Goku across the face. "If you think that you're the only one who's concerned for Sanzo than you're sorely mistaken. And I've had enough of these childish tantrums."

Goku was quiet and his brain was still trying to register the pain that was stirring in his cheek. Hakkai had hit him. He had really hit him. "Hakkai."

"Now that you've calmed down a little, I suggest you think about your actions." Hakkai reached down to set a chair upright again after it had fallen from the impact of the shattered table. Brushing a few pieces of scrap off of the seat he straightened. "Now sit down and I don't want to hear another word. Is that clear?"

"Hakkai's scary when he wants to be, isn't he?" Lirin questioned Dokugakuji's little brother. She made sure to keep her voice as quiet as possible, lest he hear and turn his attention away from the monkey.

"Yeah, he's not someone you want to be on their bad side. That's for sure." Gojyo would have added a slight snicker to the end of the sentence, but he felt it was inappropriate for the time. He didn't want to attract angry mommy Hakkai's attention any more than the little lady.

"Wonder if Yaone knows."

"Huh? Why would she care?"

-----

"Yaone!"

"What is it Dokugaku?" Yaone called from across the sky on her dragon to her friend in arms. "Something the matter?"

"I'm getting a feeling we should land now!"

"Why?" It was Kougaiji to answer this time. He turned back to his two friends. They had been looking for Lirin in areas the Sanzo party had last been seen for some time now, but there was still no sign of the girl. What was worse, there didn't seem to be any sign of Sanzo, Kouryuu, whatever, at the castle either. So help him if he found that blonde bastard and Lirin together. "What's up?"

Dokugakuji scratched his hair a little. "I'm getting a bad feeling about something. Call it my gut."

"I can't see what would get us up here right now, save for weather. It looks clear to me, my friend."

"I'm tellin' ya, Kou. It's going to get bad. I can feel it." Dokugakuji tightened his grip on his reigns. "It's gonna' storm, really pour. I'm sure of it."

"Are you sure, Dokugaku?" Yaone questioned. The sky really did look clear. It was rather pleasant actually. "I'm not feeling anything."

Dokugakuji growled a little. "I'm not lyin' and I'm not just saying it! We should land and look for Lirin on the ground so we can take cover easier!"

Kougaiji considered his ranting swordsman for a bit before considering his options. Dokugakuji wouldn't be so persistent if it was just a worry in his head. "Alright, let's take them down and land over there in those trees. And Dokugaku, you'd best be right."

"Thanks, Kou." Dokugakuji almost hoped that he was wrong.

-----

"Well isn't this convenient." Kouryuu laughed a little as he leaned on the doorframe to the small kitchen. Looks like the tip off from that guy on the street corner paid off. It was so nice when civilians paid attention to their surroundings and the odd folks who pass through town. "All my favorite enemies in one place, how about that?"

"Kouryuu!" Lirin did a tiny jump as she ran towards her favorite blonde. This was some great timing! Now she wouldn't have to bother Kougaiji about this whole mess. He was busy enough as it is already. "They said that you're badly Sanzo. Is that true?"

"Lirin? What are you doing here, sweetie?" Kouryuu's attentions were momentarily distracted from the others as he registered the princess' presence. He'd have to find out about her question later, but for now he needed to get her out before things got ugly around the inn. "Does your brother know you're out here?"

"No, of course not! That defeats the purpose of sneaking out in the first place."

"Ah, well I'm sure he's worried." Kouryuu laughed lightly and put a hand on her head. He applied a little pressure to let her know he was being serious. "Why don't you run along home while Uncle Kouryuu deals with these losers, okay?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Why can't I stay?"

Kouryuu could have sworn that Lirin's eyes had grown about three sizes while asking that question. As a man, he would not cave to the puppy eyes. "I need to work now, and can't play with you right now."

"So you're saying I'd be in the way?"

"No! No, that's not it." The blonde waved his arms back and forth in front of his body. Those darn eyes were winning, gosh darn it! "You're not in the way at all, I just think it'd be best if you went home before folks start to worry."

"Liar!" Lirin huffed. "Now what's this about them calling you Sanzo!"

"I'm not sure about that myself. I think they're just a little crazy." Kouryuu laughed a little, but made sure to keep his eyes on the others in the room. He needed to get Lirin out of the room so she wouldn't have to watch. Kouryuu hoped those other three had enough sense to wait before they started fighting. "Now come on sweetie, you really should go before your big brother worries any more than he already is."

"He always worries!"

"Even better a reason…"

"Hey, Hakkai." Gojyo whispered as he walked up next to his friend. "Are you seein' what I'm seeing?"

"Sanzo and Lirin having a playful argument over her stay here?" Hakkai tilted his head to the side as the banter between the red head and the blonde continued. "Than, yes."

"Just checking. What do you think we should do about it?"

Hakkai hummed to himself. "I think we should knock him over the head, tie him up, and feed him alcohol until his brain dissolves back to normal."

"Sounds like a party."

"Though, I do agree with is current argument that Lirin should leave first." Hakkai smiled a bit and started gathering a chii ball behind his hand.

"So, moment the little lady leaves, we go?" Gojyo grinned.

"Correct."

Goku was in disbelief at the scene in front of him. Sanzo was arguin' with Lirin in the doorway and no one was doing anything. Hakkai and Gojyo were just standing there smiling like nothing bad was going on! It was like they thought it was cute or something. This was the perfect opportunity to get Sanzo back or at least to hit him over the head so he couldn't run away again. The boy's hands began to twitch as he groped at the air trying to figure out what to do. Goku decided then it might be time to take things into his own hands.

-----

"What's got you in such a bad mood?" Dr. Hwang asked as she rounded the table. Her lab coat swished around her legs. "You look like someone drowned your rabbit."

"Who are you and what have you down with my wife? My wife-ie pooh would never be so considerate of my feelings."

"Very funny, now what's with the look?"

"I don't think that boy is coming back."

"What makes you say that?" The woman leaned down over his shoulder to watch the little monitor blink rapidly as the picture changed and loaded. They really needed to budget for some better working screens. However, it was clear enough that she could see the blonde hanging out peacefully with Lirin and the others. "I see what you mean. Though he's still got time to kill them. He does like to fool around a bit before he gets serious."

"It's that little one there, that worries me." Nii tapped the Goku boy smack in the middle of his diadem on the screen. The young boy's arms were flailing as he shouted at his companions. Nii decided if there was a next time to invest in headphones so he could actually turn on the audio. Such a pain hiding true motives and conversations from one's workmatse. "He's a wildcard in my predictions."

"Hmph, like you don't have counter plans for such a thing." Hwang leaned against the desk on the side. With such a serious look on his face, the odd doctor almost seemed tolerable.

Nii smiled slowly. "Well, I won't deny that I have a back-up plan for just such an occasion. But I'd rather not use it, if possible."

Hwang pushed her glasses back up on her face. "Must be something if even you won't sink to that level to use it."

"It's not so much an issue of that, per say. It involves other, sacrifices, to be effective." Nii chuckled darkly. "Though, the outcome might just be worth it. Yes. It just might be worth it."

"That so."

"Did you do the paperwork I asked you for?"

Hwang pulled a small folder out from under her arm and brushed a bit of non-existent dust off of the top. She ignored the sudden change in topic to finally to get some work done. "Of course."

Nii leaned back to look at the papers that he leafed out from the manila folder. It seems his stats on his latest experiment were looking far better than expected. Numbers were looking good, and Hwang calculated them to a point where she could probably pull off the resurrection on her own if he gave her a little push in the right direction. Well, if Old Man Wang backed her up, she might be able to. Or if she ever developed her natural spirit abilities in order to put the scriptures to use. Nii smiled. It was always nice when things went the way that he wanted them to go.

"That looks like it hurt."

"Hmm?" Nii looked up from his papers to look at Ms. Hwang's profile as she stared vividly at his monitoring screen. She grimaced again and his eyes finally wandered down to the moving pictures himself. "Oh, I missed the start of the fight. You should have told me."

"Sorry, you looked preoccupied." Hwang's voice was distant as she watched that younger boy jump Kouryuu. He was really pounding into the man.

Nii watched carefully as Kouryuu made sure to keep the little Princess behind him and away from the attacking demon. That could be good considering he didn't need Kougaiji causing trouble because his sister was hurt, but it also meant Kouryuu's attentions were split. That was no good when fighting enemies that strong.

"Oh, the other two joined in." Hwang hummed. She hadn't spent much time in the day monitoring Nii's bugs herself, but this was rather interesting. She grimaced a little when her 'son' was thrown through a wall. "They're not holding back are they?"

Nii sighed softly to himself before reaching over to finger the ear of his rabbit. It seemed Kouryuu was going to lose. Even if it was impossible for them to get his mind back, they could still turn him at this rate if he lost the fight. Such a shame. He really was such a good boy. The perfect tool.

The good doctor's attentions were taken when she noticed her companion stand and tap the counter. Hwang watched him turn and walk towards the exit before she found her voice again. "Where are you going?"

"Out." As an after thought, Nii paused. He couldn't make things too easy for the team of adventurers, now could he? "Could you do me a favor, dear wife of mine?"

"That depends. Is it work related?" Hwang huffed as the man took a few steps back towards her and braced his arms on either side of her. She was pinned and could feel her breath raising a few notches. He had done it so slowly, but she couldn't find herself able to move.

"Be a good girl and baby sit my little bunny for me." Nii cocked his head and smiled as he leaned closer. Their noses were pressing and she was warm. "Take very good care of him, as he's very special."

With him so close, and voice so somber – Hwang could do nothing but nod slowly and agree. She could feel him shove the rabbit in between his arm and her hip slowly. Once it was nestled tightly, he did something near unforgivable.

The kiss was long and deep, but somehow still only lasted for a moment's time. How could this man master contradictions and bring them into life so well? Hwang could barely breath.

"Thank-you, and it shall always be a pleasure." Nii smiled and turned away from the shocked woman. "Bye-bye!"

Hwang slowly moved the rabbit from her side into her arms and squeezed. Something was very wrong. Wrong with Nii, wrong with the world, wrong with her, wrong with this whole damn planet – it didn't matter. Hwang just felt cold. And that's all that she knew.


	18. Daddy's Little Boy

Please don't hurt me.

**Chapter 17: Daddy's Little Boy**

"Shit, that was hard." Gojyo collapsed onto the ground with a huff and leant on his weapon. It had taken over four hours to take that blonde bastard down. Whoever pumped up his muscles was going to take a royal beating from this Water Sprite the moment he got his chance. But, that would wait for more important things at the moment. He rubbed his forehead into the warm metal of his staff. "Can I take a nap now?"

Hakkai couldn't have agreed more. His limbs ached, his head hurt, his chi was drained and Sanzo was still struggling against his bindings. It was as if the man inherited Goku's energy while he was at the castle. He only hoped that when Lirin had run off to get Kougaiji in the middle of the fight, it was to help them and not Sanzo. At least Kougaiji would be reasonable if they explained the situation. He was still surprised that Goku had managed to knock him out long enough to tie the man up. Considering the fight, that was nothing short of a miracle. "As soon as we make sure that nothing is going to go wrong or that he can get loose."

"Just give me five minutes." Kouryuu growled as he tugged and yanked at the knots holding his wrists. He had been far too careless in that fight. Granted, he really should have sent Lirin for help at the beginning of the fight so he could have concentrated fully from the beginning. So he continued tugging. One more shot was all he needed; then he could go home and everything would be peachy. "All of you are so dead!"

Goku snorted and grabbed the end of the knot of the ropes that held his hand. He pulled it tighter. After all that work and time to catch him, there was no way that something like a loose rope was going to let him escape. "You're not going anywhere because you belong with us!"

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Is this that Sanzo shit again? Are you people unable to take a hint! I ain't him!"

"You are!" Goku shouted. He was bleeding in a few places, but didn't bother to ask anyone to tend them. He'd be fine. It was Sanzo that he was worried about; the man was sure to have a few broken ribs underneath all of those bruises. But it was all for Sanzo's sake. Goku had to just keep reminding himself of that fact and everything would be fine. "You just don't remember."

"This is so stupid." Kouryuu winced when the maggot boy tied an extra rope around his waist to be sure that he couldn't get out. He relaxed in his chair and huffed. If he bid his time, than his body could have a chance to rest and then Kouryuu would show them what he can really do. Failure wasn't an option this time. "Believe what you want. It's not going to change anything."

_That's what I'm scared of._ Goku frowned as the other man trained his eyes on the wall. He was pouting and plotting all at the same time. It was sort of an odd expression for Sanzo to have. Though, Sanzo wasn't the only one looking off, Hakkai and Gojyo were wiped and really looked like they needed a break, too. "Don't be so sure. I know that we're gonna' find a way to fix ya.'"

"I don't need fixing." Kouryuu grit his reply through his teeth and gave his arms an extra yank. These losers were so irritating. "There's nothing wrong with me."

"That's not true!"

"Goku."

"What, Hakkai?" Goku spun around to face the demon. His eyes were holding steady and Goku felt himself feeling small in their line of sight. Goku could tell that Hakkai was on his last legs and that arguing with him would be futile.

"Please, just stop for now. We're all exhausted, angry and at least one of us is confused." Hakkai put a chair up right so he could sit. Which reminded him of the damage done to the eating establishment. He hoped they didn't have to pay for that. It was quite a mess; especially with the hole in the wall. "We'll have a nice long discussion explaining everything from the beginning as soon as my head stops spinning."

"But."

"No 'but.' Just leave it be, Goku. We've got him here, that's all that matters for the moment. We can discuss things further in the morning." Hakkai held his head. "And Kouryuu, do try and not escape. We'll be forced to take other means to restrain you and I'd rather not drug you." _Because I'm not sure what's already floating around in your system to begin with…_

"No promises." Kouryuu huffed. Well, that just meant he'd have to bide his time like he was planning already. Though, if he waited too long than the others would be in shape again, too. That wouldn't help him much. Maybe if he kept working at the ropes they'd eventually weaken and shred. Or not. It was so hard to think when he couldn't move. Kouryuu's thoughts were interrupted, however, when a slight rapping could followed by creaking of wood. It caught everyone's attention and Kouryuu wished that his back wasn't to the door. He wanted to see if their visitor could be used in distracting the idiots.

Goku watched closely when the door started to open. He could have sworn they told the villagers to stay away. But, once the door was open, it was obvious that they weren't dealing with a villager. The man may have changed his clothes, but Goku would recognize that face anywhere. It was a face that he could not forget and would never forgive. "You."

"I'm disappointed. I expected much more from you."

As the slow voice drawled on from behind him, Kouryuu froze; it felt like his insides had constricted. He found a knot building in his throat as he questioned the air in front of him. "Dad? What are you doing here?"

Nii pressed his glasses up on his face as he watched that blonde hair. The poor boy's hands had started to fidget and sweat. He was scared. _Good._ The others in the room were also tense, but for a much different reason. Seems they remembered him; how delightful. "I came to see what was taking so long."

"I'm sorry." Kouryuu swallowed and tried to keep his breathing easy. Dad didn't seem angry just yet, more bored than anything. If Kouryuu was lucky all he wanted was to watch the final fight. He seemed to hate these three quite a bit. It would make sense he would want to watch them die. "You don't have to worry, I'm going to get the job done."

Gojyo had about enough of that freak man not being pummeled face first into the ground. So he decided to steer the situation in a way that they'd end up with that conclusion. He shoved an accusing finger in the man's direction. "How dare you show your face again, you bastard!"

Nii chuckled and turned his attention to Sha Gojyo on the floor. His temper fell right in line with Sha Jien's. Families could be so amusing at times. "So the little half-breed speaks his mind. How un-interesting."

Gojyo could feel his fists clenching tightly as the man spoke. His carefree attitude was really pissing him off. It's like he barely noticed that they were here! "Why you."

"And such an extensive vocabulary." Nii stuck his hands into his coat pockets and hummed. It was a beautiful day outside and it would probably be just as lovely a night. He briefly turned his thoughts to his lady patron at the castle and wondered if she would enjoy the night. He did hope that she would forgive him, but it was unlikely. At least he knew that the brilliant full moon would be out to watch out over him tonight. His favorite audience had to be present if he wanted any of it to be worth a thing. "I believe you'd be wise to shut up until I'm ready to deal with you. Can't you see I'm having a conversation with my son?"

"He's not your son! He's Sanzo!" Goku shouted and charged the man with every ounce of strength that he could gather. He wanted to hear the crunch when he bashed the man's head into pieces. However, it was his lungs being smashed into his back that he could hear. The vicious strike to his chest sent him flying into the back wall with crash. A bottle fell off of a top shelf and broke over the boy's face leaving it soaked in liquor. From either the concussion or the alcohol, Goku's vision was fuzzy as he watched that sick smile stretch across the bastard's face, but he could see the laughter in his eyes even behind the glasses. Goku tried to make his body move, but it resisted him. He could do nothing but sit their limply.

"That was a good try boy, but do try and contain yourself." Nii sighed. This was hardly a challenge. They just didn't make fighters like they used to in the day. Hell, Nii could have whipped this boy back when he was Ken'yuu. "Just sit still and be patient while I chat with Kouryuu, here."

"Goku!" Hakkai shouted as he watched the hit. It hadn't even looked like the raven-haired man had moved, let alone been able to send Goku flying into a wall and crippling him. A single hit to take down _Goku_. The move was a hundred times faster than anything he had done during their last encounter and Hakkai could feel his anger rising. That man had played with them. Frustration kept his anger company when the thought that they could not fight this man and win started to edge on the corner of his mind. His fingers groped at the air as they waited for something to do.

"That advice goes for you two as well." Nii tilted his head to the demon and his little pet. "Though, if you'd like me to hit you to make you feel better, than be my guest."

Gojyo shoved himself up onto his feet to stand. He was still tired, but this fight would be worth it. Standing still and taking it just wasn't an option. "You sick son of a bitch. What the hell type of monster are you?"

"Hey!" Kouryuu tried to turn in his chair. He was still stunned that his old man had some moves, but he really should have expected that in the first place. "Don't talk that way about my dad!"

"Your Dad? Please! He's a kidnaper and a liar! He screwed with your head so you wouldn't 'know us anymore!" Gojyo could feel Hakkai tense beside him. At least he wouldn't have to fight alone. That was always a comfort. "And he molests little kids! What else would you call him but a monster?"

"Shut up!" Kouryuu pulled harder at the ropes. That redhead was going to get it for even thinking of bad mouthing his father. "I'm going to kill you for saying those things! They won't even be able to identify your body as being humanoid when I'm done with it!"

Nii laughed at the groups pathetic struggles. Koumyou's, no _his_, brat really had brought together a class act of individuals, that was for sure. And Kouryuu was so adorable blindly standing up for him. "But it's true."

"Huh?" Kouryuu stopped and turned his head to look at his father. The man flicked his wrist and Kouryuu found the ropes sliced clean and his body free. He stood up to face the man. Dad had the oddest expression on his face; like he was amused and sad at the same time. "What are you talking about?"

"It's true. I did kidnap you." Nii pushed his glasses up on his face. This is where he would put his work to the test. The boy had expressed himself in the lab, but now was the time to see if it was all true. "And I did erase all of your memories and implant them with the ones that I wanted to have there. It was all done in my little lab and the whole family thing was just a bonus I added for fun to make your _mother_ miserable."

"So," Kouryuu's hands dropped to his sides. His father wasn't lying; even if he couldn't see the man's eyes through the glare on his glasses, he could tell. He gripped a hand to his chest and held tightly as he felt his heart pounding. "I'm really their Sanzo? What they've been saying is right?"

"Yes." Goku moaned from the wall. He could see that Sanzo was confused and looking for answers. If he had any chance to break through to him than it was now. Goku tried to push himself up, but he could only twitch. "And we're the ones that love you! Not him!"

"What he said." Gojyo was starting to get twitchy around this Nii guy. He knocked out Goku in a single punch and cut Kouryuu's ropes by flicking his wrist. Now, Gojyo wasn't one to admit when he was scared, but this man was just creepy. "You're one of us, so get away from that bastard. He's only going to hurt you."

Hakkai held out a hand to their blonde companion. His thoughts aligned with Goku's; this might be their only chance to get Sanzo back. Hakkai prayed with every ounce of his spirit that Sanzo would listen to reason and come to them. "Kouryuu, please. You need to believe us on this one."

"Kouryuu." Nii walked over to his son and stopped. Putting a hand on the shaking boy's shoulder be leaned in closely to capture his eyes with his own. They were searching desperately for something to believe; to follow; to confirm what they wanted to believe. Nii was happy to oblige. "Do you remember the conversation we had in the lab before you left?"

At first, Kouryuu wasn't sure which conversation that his father was referring to. He knew that they had been in the lab and Kouryuu was angry at the questions. The answers were so obvious that he was furious that father had even asked them. _Do you love your father? Even if...?_ Kouryuu's eyes widened as he remembered. It was strange, but he felt warm inside. He had reason to be angry, because the answer was obvious. _Even if these feelings are artificial, it doesn't change the fact that I feel them. _"Yes. I remember. I love my father and I would do anything for him."

Hakkai's eyes narrowed as he watched Kouryuu relax and settle into a gentle smile. There was more going on here than brainwashing. They might have really lost Sanzo to this monster. Hakkai felt as helpless as when he watched Kannon take his knife and turn it towards herself. It was if it was happening all over again and all he could do was watch the train wreck. His limbs turned into jelly and he could tell Gojyo was also having trouble standing, though Hakkai was sure it was for a different reason. "Sanzo."

"So, who are you then?" Nii could feel the grin stretching along his face. Everything was going according to plan. He wished that he could have played this game for just a bit longer, but sacrifices often had to be made to achieve the most desired ending. He could think of no better way to prove his dear Koumyou wrong. It was the perfect gift.

"Kouryuu. My name is Kouryuu!" The blonde turned to face the brunette on the ground and grinned. He'd deal with the other two after he wiped out their strongest opponent. He could feel his killer instinct returning and Kouryuu didn't think it was possible to feel any better. He had a father supporting him, a mother to tease, a grandfather to lean on and friends to play with; he wasn't going to give up this joy for anyone. "And if I want to go home; these three need to die."

Nii smiled and reached inside of his lab coat for a cigarette. He lit it slowly and took a deep drag. The tobacco had never tasted so sweet. The smoke lingered in the air as he breathed it out slowly. "That's my boy."

"I'll never forgive you!" Goku was thankful that he had been given time to get himself back together. For what he did to Sanzo and the rest of them with this brainwashing, he was going to nail this bastard if it killed him. But first he had to get past Sanzo that had him in his sights. Though, that would be easy considering that Goku only had eyes for one target. "Nyoi-boh!"

When Kouryuu watched the kid with the crown tense and get ready to attack, the blonde followed suit. Kouryuu immediately made a dive for the boy kneeling on the ground but he was too slow. Kouryuu turned his body so that his feet hit the ground with a curse, but Goku had already shot past him like a bullet. He was getting ready to follow the little rat, but he stopped cold when he saw where the brat was headed. "Dad! Move!"

Goku had his target in sight. That man wouldn't catch him off guard ever again. He rammed the rod he held straight foreword with every intention of pushing him back into the wall for a taste of his own medicine. However, when it struck straight through the man's gut, Goku had to stop moving. The man's blood drenched his pole and flowed over his hands in rivulets staining everything in their path red. He hadn't moved; not even an inch to dodge. Goku's voice was barely a whisper as he stared into those empty, yet grinning, eyes. "You got hit on purpose."

Nii smiled and grabbed a hold of the boy's weapon. With the lad in such shock, he easily pulled the intruding weapon from his gut with a gasp and held onto the bleeding wound. That had hurt and Nii could tell that he was dying; but that was all to be expected. He had, after all, intended to meet with Koumyou tonight underneath the shining full moon. Predictably, Kouryuu dashed past to shove Goku out of the way and come to his aid. The poor boy was so worried and looked close to tears and it made Nii smile. Yes, this would be worth it. "Kouryuu."

"Dad. Dad." Kouryuu held the man close and shoved his hand into the wound to help control the bleeding. He was in near hysterics as he watched the blood cough up from that familiar mouth. He pulled the man up by his shoulders so that he was sitting slightly upright and Kouryuu couldn't help but chant what was on his mind. "Don't die. Don't die!"

"Crazy son of a bitch." Gojyo dropped his Shakujou to the ground. He watched the cigarette drop from the corner of the man's mouth and roll onto the floor. Gojyo kept his eyes on the comforting object as his mind processed what had just happened. "Man just stood there and got impaled."

Hakkai too, was having a hard time contemplating what was going on and turned his attention instead to Goku on the ground staring at his hands. Hakkai himself had spent many a day looking at his hands covered in blood and knew where it could lead. He took a few steps over to tend to the boy and see if he had fallen into shock. "Goku, are you alright?"

Goku nodded as he watched Sanzo cling to the dying bastard. Watching Sanzo cry and scream and trying to hard to save the man made him feel _guilty._ He couldn't even begin to explain what he was feeling. He had killed the man who hurt Sanzo, but he had also hurt Sanzo deeper than he thought he could. It was all just so wrong. _Why?_ "Why?"

"I don't know, Goku." Hakkai shook his head and could feel his grip on the boy's shoulder tighten. He knew that things could have turned out for the worst, but this was just so unexpected. It was difficult to swallow that they might never be forgiven for saving him. "I just don't know."

"Dad, dad please. You have to live and we can go home to Mom and Grandpa. You can play chess while mom yells at you and I can distract her. Just hold on." Kouryuu pet the elder man's hair. The man he loved most was dying in his arms and he was completely helpless to stop it. There was a sense of Déjà vu to this entire scene that kept playing in his mind, but that man had blonde hair. Whatever it was, Kouryuu knew that he could never go through that again. Never. _Never._ Never. "Please. Please I need you!"

Nii choked up a mouthful of blood to clear his throat. He really did have such a good boy. "Kouryuu."

"Don't talk," Kouryuu swallowed. "Just hold on."

"Remember what you told me." Nii smiled and reached up to stroke his hand along Kouryuu's face. He left blood streaked on the cheek and he felt satisfied. The red color suited him somehow and it smeared together with his tears. It really had been fun. "I want to see you again. Such a good boy. _My boy._"

"Dad." Kouryuu watched in horror as the man's eyes slid shut and his head fell against his chest. Memories started flooding through his mind of another man dying, but the face was hard to decipher. Something about a temple and rape and he didn't even know. It was overlaid with visions of his father's face and the lab that he knew so well. It made his head hurt and caused his breathing to become erratic and Kouryuu didn't know what to do. He shook his father's still shoulders. "Hey, wake up."

Gojyo watched as the man started clinging to the dead body and crying. He had never seen Sanzo so devastated over anything in his life. It was surreal. Gojyo tried to remember how he had reacted when his mother died; it hadn't even come close to this level of grief. "Shit."

"I guess he's dead then." Hakkai frowned as he looked up. He could only begin to imagine the type of sorrow that Sanzo was experiencing right now. Hakkai hoped that this would make the transition back to their Sanzo easier instead of more difficult. Goku however, was not fairing so well, either. "Goku, it's going to be okay. You with me?"

"Sanzo's crying." Goku pulled his legs underneath him and felt them slowly losing all of their feeling. Was that really love? Crying over someone that was practically a demon? Loving still even after knowing that they've done nothing but hurt you? Is this what Gojyo felt? Hakkai? Goku could only ponder as he watched the most important man in his life wail over a corpse that he had created. "Sanzo's never going to forgive me."

Father was dead. The grief stricken man stood slowly, he could even still feel his cheeks stiffen where the salty tears and blood had dried. Sanzo's mind had become an empty void and his eyes had glazed over with either shock or a complete system shut down from the trauma. However, there were two memories that stubbornly held their ground and seemed to be controlling his every action. He was sure they were from two different lives, but they seemed to go hand in hand. One of those thoughts repeated endlessly in his mind. _Would you follow me anywhere I go?_ While the other found its way to chapped lips who knew not to whom they were speaking. "Do you know why I chose the gun out of all the weapons?"

Goku's eyes widened a little as he watched Sanzo sway on his feet. He took a few steps toward the table and picked up the weapon that had been discarded in the earlier fight. Goku wondered what force in the room kept him and his two companions from moving to intercept as they watched Sanzo standing there with the dead body rotting behind him. The man was shaking, but his words were thickened by the importance of these few sentences.

The man smiled as he raised the barrel of the gun to his temple. The metal felt cool to his skin and he leaned into the touch like a lover. "It was the perfect size to…"

The body had hit the ground with a sickening thud, but no one heard it. Their ears were still ringing from the echo of that final shot and the wretched wailing that followed.


	19. Epilogue: All Things Must End

This is more of an epilogue than a chapter, really. However! As a special treat for reading this the entire way through with all its ups and downs – there will be a "Special Extra Epilogue" coming soon that you'll want to read. Even more so if you enjoyed the 'extras' in 'A Dog's Life'

Thank-you so very much for all of your reviews and time! I hope you enjoyed "Raising Kouryuu" and will stay tuned for the extra epilogue.

**Chapter 18: All Things Must End**

Normally, the lab would be relatively quiet save for the regular sounds of clicking computers and test tubs bubbling. Occasionally the lab would be full of the sounds of bickering due to the good Doctors fighting with each other, but Wang never really minded that. He considered it part of the lab and it wonders.

Today, however. Wang's ears suffered through an angry prostitute who's plans of resurrection have been foiled permanently. Wang typed on his computer randomly to look busy. Whenever the little lady found her way back to the lab, he'd discuss their plans for the future and appeasement of the bitch.

"Where is he!"

Old man Wang covered his ear on one side in the guise of a scratch as the irate woman tore about the laboratory. He was beginning to wonder why he had even bothered to come in today, considering the circumstances. Gyokumen Koushuu wanted to know where her bed partner had disappeared to; he enjoyed living far too much to tell her. She'll figure out eventually that he was never coming back. She should just give up. "I don't know, my lady."

"Like hell you don't." Koushuu snarled and kicked a desk over. That computer looked important but she'd make Nii clean it up when he got back. If he could still move after she was done with him. "You." She struck a finger out towards the old man sitting in the corner. "You tell me the moment he gets back."

"Of course, my lady." Wang nodded and continued to pretend he was working. She stormed out in a huff and knocked down some test tubes on her way out. Not that it mattered much. Anyone who cared about the state of the lab was either locked in their room hugging a stuffed toy or dead. The lady could do as she wished. It was understandable.

Though, he would miss having the lad around. He made everyone's company more enjoyable; even Nii seemed pleasant in his company. There was something special about that one; something deep down where Wang no longer knew how life worked.

Wang did think it was ironic, however, that he outlived them. Maybe youth wasn't all that it was cracked up to be; it attracted stupidity like an insect to honey.

-----

"We're going as fast as we can, Lirin." Kougaiji explained as Lirin continued to drag him down the street by his arm. She had shown up out of no where in the pouring rain screaming something about Kouryuu needing help. So now, he and his fellow demons were running through a human town in pouring rain to go save some man that he really could have cared less about. Kougaiji sighed as he realized he was probably going soft to put up with being soaking wet and dragged about; but then again, it was Lirin that was asking. "We'll get there soon enough."

"But he's in trouble now!" Lirin huffed and kept pulling. It had taken her way too long to find her big brother. The fact that it had started pouring down raining didn't help much either. However, Lirin found herself slowing down when she reached the restaurant that she had left Kouryuu at. Dokugakuji's little brother was standing outside in the rain.

"Why did you stop, Lady Lirin?" Yaone asked as she caught up with the young lady and her lord, Kougaiji. The girl had a somber look on her face and merely pointed. "Oh, it's Mr. Gojyo."

"Gojyo?" His little brother looked like death had just knocked on his door. Dokugakuji walked past his lord, Lirin and Yaone to stop in front of the much younger man. Gojyo's brilliant red eyes were glazed and pale as they slowly looked up to see him. They scanned behind him and came back to rest on Dokugakuji's eyes. They looked worse than when Mom died. "Are you alright? Gojyo?"

"Don't let Lirin inside."

Gojyo merely mumbled and fumbled in his pocket for a cigarette. They were all soaked, but he didn't seem to care. Dokugakuji's shoulders slumped as he watched his broken brother. The door to his left was hanging open and the brother dared to look inside. He could tell that Kougaiji and the others were waiting for his reply and as he looked inside he was thankful that his lord had followed Gojyo's advice and held Lirin at bay. "Oh, Gojyo."

"Don't bother." Gojyo smirked. So his big brother wanted to try and play the role, huh? Well, it was a little late for that. "I'm fine. Knew it was going to end this way. I always knew it, just didn't know how it was going to happen."

"What is it Dokugaku?" Yaone questioned. She took a few steps forward to his side, but Dokugaku was clearly focused on his brother. Whatever happened must have been horrible. However, before Yaone could see for herself, she felt Kougaiji's hand on her shoulder and he pulled her back a few feet. He looked her straight in the eye and said simply to watch Lirin. She obeyed and hoped that he would explain what was going on. "Be careful."

"Don't worry, I will." After he was sure that Lirin was staying with Yaone, Kougaiji past his aching friend who was now trying to actively talk to his younger brother and walked into the bar. But the door jammed on something laid out on the ground; something that smelled horrible. Covering his nose he looked down to see Doctor Nii sprawled out on his back. And dead. Kougaiji would be lying if he said that he was anything less than relieved inside. Looking up, Kougaiji could see a familiar green shirt on a hunched over body that was nursing a small jar of liquor. Hakkai looked as if he hadn't moved in some time. He was completely at ease and seemed to not care that the prince was even present. Though, he could feel the depression in the air. The death of Dr. Nii would not have caused such a reaction.

Kougaiji could suddenly understand why Gojyo warned Lirin to stay away as he looked at the other corner of the room. He let out a long sigh as he watched Goku cling to another dead body. One with a rather large hole in his blonde head and both Goku and the corpse were coated in blood. Goku just held on to that body of Sanzo and leant his head up against a wall. He was petting the blonde's hair and Kougaiji felt the weight of the room come down on him harder than the rain outside.

"I see you've decided to join us." Hakkai smiled as he poured yet another cup of liquor. He didn't bother to turn to the other man in the room. There was no need. "You're rather late, forgive us for not being better prepared to welcome you."

Kougaiji asked his question simply. While he could feel pity for these people and their loss, the death of the monk and the doctor were not as much as a consequence to him and his own goals. Though, he was curious as to how this turn of events came about. "What happened?"

"Sanzo came to kill us. Nii showed up to monitor his progress and Goku killed Nii. Sanzo shot himself in the head soon afterwards from the grief." Hakkai turned his cup in his hands in a circle. "As for anything else, I'm quite sure you're more informed than we are."

"Not really." Kougaiji kicked the dead body of the doctor; his glasses fell off and made a soft click on the ground. "The things Nii does on his own time aren't exactly shared. Well, the things he _did_ on his own time. Man was a creepy bastard."

"Ah," Hakkai watched Goku cling just a little tighter to the dead body; at least he was listening. They'd have to bury it eventually. It almost wasn't fair, really. He almost wished Sanzo had been in his right mind when he shot himself. Than Hakkai could feel justified in following. He took his monocle off and set it on the table to rub at his eyes. He needed to get some sleep.

Kougaiji kept his eyes focused on Goku while he talked to the zoning brunette. "What are you planning to do now?"

"I'm not sure, really. There's not much of a point for anything any more." Hakkai smiled at the bitter irony. "We were only on this journey because of him. I suppose Gojyo and I will go home and take Goku with us."

"No more trying to stop us, then?"

"I rather doubt it." Hakkai pushed the little cup off of the table and watched it smash. "Though, don't think you're getting the scripture. We're not giving that up."

"With Nii dead, I'm not even sure if I need it anymore." Kougaiji turned around and left the broken men where they were. He was not that cruel of a man to attack them now. Nor was he stupid enough. Fighting those with nothing to lose was never a smart fight. He simply walked out and motioned to his companions to follow.

Dokugakuji looked at his brother one last time as his prince went to lean in front of Lirin. He could hear the girl crying through the rain and had no intention of interrupting that speech. He hoped that Yaone could calm her down if Kougaiji failed. It might be too much to hope, but Dokugakuji willed that his chat with Gojyo had helped. "Hey, Gojyo."

"Just, go." Gojyo sighed. He appreciated his brother being there; it helped more than he wanted to admit. He was glad that he didn't have to lie. "I'll be fine."

"I'm going to check up on you, Gojyo. Is that okay?" Dokugakuji started backing up as Kougaiji lifted Lirin and started to carry her back towards the dragons.

Gojyo smiled a little. "Yeah, that would be nice. Bring Yaone and Lirin with ya,' too. That'll help those other two saps."

"Be sure to take note of that."

Gojyo watched his brother and the red head prince head off into the rain and disappear. He didn't doubt that they'd be back soon enough to say hello. He rolled off of the side of the building and went inside of the door to check on is brooding compatriots. At least Hakkai had pulled himself off of the floor and broken into the liquor. He sat down across from him and kidnapped a bottle for himself. The other man was smiling and had seemed to made up his mind about something. "How are you two holding up?"

"Better if the rain would stop or if I could get drunk." Hakkai mumbled. Gojyo seemed to have cheered up immensely. Hakkai hoped that the attitude would be contagious. "Have the others left?"

"Yeah, said they're gonna' come visit us." Gojyo stretched his legs out under the table.

Hakkai leant his head on his hand. "That so."

"Yeah." Gojyo sighed and stood up to walk over to Goku. The boy was still looking at the wall and petting Sanzo's head. It was uncanny to see the kid so down and depressed. "If you're going to follow him, monkey, than make up your mind so we know whether to wait for you or not."

"Shut up, Gojyo." Goku mumbled. Sanzo wanted Goku to be strong and Goku intended to be just that. He wasn't going to be weak and he had already cried too much already. At least now it was over. "I'm not going to do something stupid. Sanzo always said dying never solved anything."

"At least we got that settled." Gojyo took the soaked cigarette out of his mouth and tossed it in the direction of the dead doctor. "Now get up and let's do something with Sanzo before he starts to rot. He'll come back and haunt us for not taking care of him properly."

Goku laughed at the bad attempt at a joke as Gojyo reached down to grab his arm. It was true. Sanzo would be angry at them for lingering on something like this. "Okay."

Hakkai stood and ran a hand through his hair. It was time for them to get moving again. Never forget, and always walk forward. That was the lesson he learned from Kannon, and now from Sanzo. "And then we can go home, how does that sound?"

Goku set Sanzo's body down on his back and put his arms over his chest. He used his cape to cover the head. People didn't need to see such a beautiful face covered in blood. He stood up and turned to his two friends. "What about the minus wave?"

"Frankly, I don't think it's our problem anymore, Goku." Hakkai brushed off his arms and walked over to his friends. "Sanzo's gone and that means we're done. He wouldn't want us to stay all cooped up and depressed. It's not like we could ever forget him, is it?"

"Yeah, but what about all those people?"

"Goku, the only people I care about are in this room. Now let's go home."

Goku nodded slowly as Hakkai and Gojyo picked up Sanzo's body. It was time for them to move on. Sanzo would have wanted it that way. At least now Sanzo could see his master again. That thought alone made Goku smile.

-----

Dr. Hwang had been in her room since she watched the video footage. She will admit that she had been curious after Nii had left her alone with the rabbit. So she spied on him using his tapes that recorded her 'son' in his duties.

She still regretted it. She never had the stomach for blood.

It's hard to stay angry at a dead man, Hwang found. She pet the small rabbit on the head as she stared at her wall. She would have to clean up the room eventually after her angry rampage, but she didn't care much at the moment. The room could stay destroyed and tattered for now. It was fine.

Hwang wasn't fine. She hugged the little rabbit tighter and laughed. And cried. And just kept laughing. Everything was just so stupid.

But he was all she could think about. His laugh, his eyes, his sneer, that white coat, chess, his glasses, his hands, his warmth, his freezing heart and his kiss. That stupid kiss. That stupid man. And his stupid rabbit.

She especially hated the rabbit. And it's smiling face. And floppy ears. She just hated it.

But she just couldn't let it go; she held it for all it was worth. She squeezed it and threw it and hugged it and pet it. So hard in fact that one of the seams had ripped slightly. Hwang stuck a finger in the hole and played with it to satisfy a welcome distraction. She tugged on it and as it stretched open, something caught her eye.

Something green.

Hwang smiled.

"_Tell me Ms. Hwang, what do you think of children?"_


	20. Extra Special EXTRA

And with this, I declare Raising Kouryuu Complete. Enjoy this last little bit of fluff and random humor. I think I redeemed myself with this one – And many props to those of you who get the last joke. Mwa ha ha ha.

As always – Thank-you so much for reading and reviewing! It was fun!

Edit 6/12/007: Note: This is _**not**_ the ending of Raising Kouryuu! As I read the reviews, I'm noticing that many of you are considering this as the real last chapter of RK. The last chapter was the one before it -Chapter 18 which is the real epilogue. This 'Extra Special Epilogue' is in no way part of the real story. I wrote it much like the 'extra' ending in A Dog's Life where Hakkai had the frying pan. The bit that could possible be taken seriously is the one where I clarified that the green thing in Nii's rabbit was the Muten Scripture. I'm glad you enjoyed this little extra, but please understand that RK ended as a tragedy with Sanzo dead and _not_ coming back. There will be no sequel and I do apologize for the confusion.

**Extra Special Extra**

"Wow, Gojyo. You should have told me that Hakkai over there was such a great cook!" Shouted Dokugakuji as he dove into the fresh pot of mixed vegetables and meats. He was already working on his second helping and was thankful that Hakkai cooked this much all the time just to satisfy the monkey. Gojyo didn't bother to answer his elder brother and simply sipped his broth as quickly as he could so he could get seconds.

"I'm flattered, Mr. Dokugakuji." Hakkai chuckled as he reached for a bit of beef. The visit of Kougaiji and all of his teammates was expected and unexpected at the same time. He was just thankful he had chosen tonight for a shared pot dish so that everyone could eat. Though he wished they could be more prudent next time and call ahead before crashing in their backyard with dragons.

"Please, just call me Dokugaku." The demon laughed in between bites. "'Mr. Dokugakuji' makes me feel old."

"But you are." Gojyo laughed and poked his brother in the side. "How old are you old man? Forty? Fifty?"

"Shut the hell up Gojyo!" Dokugakuji took his revenge by stealing a the meat that Gojyo had just dished out. "I'm 29 you ass!"

Hakkai chuckled in a similar fashion to a certain blonde long-haired Sanzo that he never had the joy of meeting as the ruckus about him started to increase. "Ah yes, of course."

"Hey, Kougaiji!" Goku poked the red head in the side. It was weird sitting at a dinner table with Kougaiji and eatin' like friends and stuff. Goku kinda' liked it. "You sure you guys aren't going to get in trouble for this?"

Kougaiji snorted. Ever since he had told his step mother that Nii was dead she'd lost her mind. They weren't any plans for the resurrection of father dearest any time soon. Hell, even weirder – the moment Nii died and the lab shut down the Minus wave disappeared, too. Kougaiji tried not to linger on those thoughts. "Shut it, monkey. I'm a prince; I can do whatever I want. Lirin! Elbows off the table."

"Sorry big brother." Lirin snickered and tried to sneak a piece of meat out of Yaone's bowl. She snapped a chopstick at her and Lirin pouted at her botched attempt.

"Mind your manners, Lady Lirin. Otherwise it's unbecoming of a Princess." Yaone took full pleasure in eating her well earned piece of meat. She had fought the boys for it and no one was making her give it up.

"Yes, Yaone."

"Good girl." The only other female at the table smiled and nodded. This was nice. No fighting, no Nii, and that bitch Hwang was locked up in her room. Things couldn't possibly get any better. "Lord Kougaiji, please pass the salt."

-----

Old Man Wang started pounding on his coworker's door around four in the afternoon. Three days was more than enough time to mourn the death of a bastard who made her life miserable. He was _not_ going one more day listening to Gyokumen Koushuu rant on and on about her poor plans and death threats to the already deceased Nii by himself one more day. He was pulling seniority gosh darn it! "Hwang! Open up this damn door and get your ass in the lab right now!"

"Shut it you old coot! I'm busy!"

Wang blinked and stared at the door after the muffled shout. He frowned and picked the lock with his claws. The little tart thought she was something else, huh? "You asked for it!"

"What is it!?" Hwang shouted as the old demon burst into her room. She quickly made a grab for her lab coat before he could see her in her cut off black dress. That was for certain eyes only. Not to mention she had to hide _that. _"I said that I'm busy!"

"Doing what?" Wang stared at the woman as he entered the room. He made note to ignore the shredded rabbit that littered the mess that was her room. Maybe the women had finally cracked. She was trying to shove on her coat and keep it open wide enough to hide whatever was on the desk. Whatever it was, part of it was hanging off and he could detect a bit of the color green. A very familiar green that he'd seen Lady Koushuu swing around on more than one occasion. "Is that one of the holy scriptures?"

"No!" Hwang covered the precious scroll with both of her hands immediately. She found it in the rabbit that Nii gave to her and it was _hers now_ gosh darn it! All hers! Finally time for Hwang to get some respect! "No, no. It's not."

Wang raised an eye brow. Yes, Hwang had cracked. "Than what is it?"

"Stationary."

"Stationary."

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Hwang started to discretely, or as best as one could, roll up the scripture again so she could stash it in a drawer. The old man didn't seem to be buying it. _Shit._

And he wasn't. "Is that Lady Koushuu's or was there a scripture in this dump of a room hiding somewhere?"

"Oh shut up."

Wang rolled his eyes and sighed. He really couldn't care less what she did with the thing. "I don't really care, just get back to work and don't leave me alone with that bitch you love so much."

"Oh, no worries. I'm getting back to work." Hwang blinked. "And I don't love her!"

And back to work Hwang was going. She'd show them all. She'd figure out the secret that Nii had known about these scriptures and then pull off the resurrection of Gyumaoh all on her own! Then she'd show them who was worthless. It was almost funny. The capable yet butt of every joke Hwang would be their savior. It made her chuckle at the sincere joy she felt from that.

Wang shook his head at the laughing woman as she pet the little scroll and held it to her breast like a lover. Nii liked to leave his mark, that was for sure. Wang decided to go see if there was any tapioca pudding left in the meal hall. He was going to need it.

-----

"I refuse!"

"Come on! Pay up! I clearly won the bet."

"You did no such thing."

"You're such a sore loser."

"Please, just because you can't keep up with the groovy generation and got all bent out of shape…."

"No one says 'groovy' anymore. Your age is showing."

"I'm not that old."

"And I still won the bet."

"Drat, my distraction failed." The blonde, slightly ditzy, elder man crossed his arms and pouted. Though secretly he was enjoying himself. "You won nothing, Ukkoku."

"I so did! I totally over powered your moonlight." The raven-haired ex-doctor smirked. He had missed these conversations so very much. "Darkness of the night won."

"You cheated." Koumyou stuck his nose up in the air. "There's no victory in that."

"That was never discussed when we made this deal."

"I'm not listening!"

"Will the two of you both shut the hell up!"

"Sorry, Merciful Goddess," spoke two voices in tiny unison in response to the echoing shout.

Said hermaphrodite Goddess of Mercy held her head and groaned as she watched her pond of lilies and the world below. The two ex-Sanzo who both somehow made it to the next level of heaven on their most recent lives (Go figure…she'd never understand the bureaucratic process up here.) and had not stopped bickering since they met up. It was enough to drive a woman insane! "Now, I'm going to settle this for the both of you and then I never want to hear another word about an insane bet involving the moon or the night sky _ever again._"

"Fine with me." The blonde Koumyou nodded cheerfully. The Merciful Goddess was all knowing and would be sure to side with him and his cute little Kouryuu. Sanzo. His name was Sanzo now.

"If we must do it that way." Nii frowned. He had hoped the argument would have killed a bit more time of his eternity in the heavens.

"I decide…"

Two sets of ears listened intently to the final word of the Goddess. Incidentally, Jiroushin was doing his best to find the proper paperwork to sort out the mess with the Journey West that was no longer in progress. He wished his mistress would consider other people's feelings when she let stuff like this happen go unchecked! But we digress, for two Sanzo were eagerly waiting to rub their victory in the other's face.

"That _I_ win. Now go play somewhere else as I'm trying to watch my soaps."

"Well, that was to be expected, wasn't it, Ukkoku?" Koumyou laughed a short chuckle and shoved his hands in his sleeves.

Nii rolled his eyes and reached for a cigarette that he had smuggled from somewhere. Not that'd ever reveal his secret. And he was pretty sure Koumyou had gotten his hands on a pipe from somewhere, too. "Wanna' go play chess?"

And the two men went back to being the best of friends despite their differences and quarrels and played many a game of chess and got drunk together on wine that they smuggled in from the same place they found their smokes. It was good to be a Sanzo. And as far as their relatively unanswered bet - they'd just let Kouryuu/Sanzo tell them who won the bet whenever he decided to finally grace them with his presence. That boy sure knew how to hold a grudge!

-----

Sanzo moaned to himself as he opened his eyes. He hurt like hell and decided the first person he saw was going to get a bullet in their face. Twice. His joints were stiff, he felt like he had a bandage on half of his face (In fact, he could see the white lining from the corner of the uncovered eye so it was a definite yes that half of his face was in a bandage.) and wondered what the hell caused that.

As he realized he was in a lying down position, he pushed himself up onto all fours and shook his hair out before swallowing. He let out a heavy breath and realized that he was rather hot for some reason. As he swayed from the dizziness of moving too quickly, he bumped into something metallic. Looking to the side he saw a golden retriever with violet eyes that smoldered like the sun sporting a pink neckerchief and a bandage covering half of its face.

It was then when Sanzo realized that he was not looking at a dog, but rather a very shiny washing basin with a reflective surface.

"Oh. Hell No." He barked. "Not again!"

Somewhere else, A Sadistic Goddess laughed.


End file.
